Gajeel and Levy: From A to Z
by Armageddon Angel
Summary: 26 one-shots on the life and love of Gajeel and Levy. Stories range from the humorous to angsty to fluffy and everything in between. Part of my Fairy Tail Project. Chapter 13: M is for Mate
1. A is for Attachment

**Gajeel and Levy: From A to Z**

**Twenty-six one-shots on the life and love of Gajeel and Levy.**

**This fic is part of my Fairy Tail From A to Z Challenge fics. I'll be doing them at the same time so once I finish one letter on one fic, I'll do the same letter in the other fics.**

**The From A to Z fics will also be a like a game. The words I've chosen are, to me, the best words I can think of that relate to this pairing. Reviews will get one point and reviewers will get extra points whether or not they can guess the word for the next letter. The winner will get a one-shot dedicated to them on a subject of their choosing with that pairing. So there will be three winners.**

**The stories in the Fairy Tail From A to Z challenge fics are somewhat interconnected with each other. So if I mention an event in, for instance, a Gajeel/Levy chapter, there is probably a corresponding chapter in Gray/Juvia or Natsu/Lucy one.**

**The last thing about this fic is that they aren't in chronological order. I just pick a point in time in their relationship that relates to the word I've chosen. So don't look for continuity with this.**

**With that in mind, I hope you'll enjoy these one shots.**

**And, of course, Fairy Tail doesn't belong to me. Otherwise, I wouldn't be writing these fanfics.**

* * *

**A is for Attachment**

_You are never completely alone. No one on this Earth is. Everyone is tied and shares connections with others. That is why humans can never be completely free. It is the reason that humans feel joy and sorrow and also love. ~ Yuuko Ichihara, xXxHolic_

Attachments were a weakness. That's what Gajeel used to believe.

Of course, he didn't always believe that. When he was younger, training under Metalicana to become an Iron Dragon Slayer, he had known love. Sure it was tough love but Gajeel enjoyed the connection.

Metalicana taught him all of the skills he needed to become a Dragon Slayer. The dragon's teaching methods were harsh but Gajeel didn't mind. Everyday was a challenge for the black haired child and he truly enjoyed it. In fact, some of his best days were when he was leaning up against a cave, catching his breath, profusely sweating and covered in dirt. Gajeel could honestly say that he was happy.

But then it happened.

On July 7, X777, Metalicana disappeared.

Gajeel looked for the dragon for months afterwards. Every morning, he was expecting to see the jet black dragon. Every night, he went to sleep disappointed.

In the first days during Metalicana's disappearance, Gajeel always wondered where could his only family had gone. The next couple of weeks he wondered why the dragon had left. Afterwards, the next thought that passed through the Iron Dragon Slayer's head was 'how dare he leave him."

Gajeel was angry at Metalicana. How could he just up and left without telling him? Was all the time that the dragon spent with him meaningless? Did Metalicana find him weak? Was his presence detestable?

He couldn't find an answer.

The one thing that Gajeel hated most of all was that his heart ached after Metalicana had disappeared. He didn't like feeling like this. It was horrible. At that time, Gajeel could honestly say that he hated the dragon with every fiber of his being. Sohe made a vow. So that he would never feel the pain in his heart again, Gajeel vowed that he would never let anyone get close again. He would live alone and that would be that.

As he wandered the world a year after Metalicana had disappeared, Gajeel avoided everyone and everything. It was simple enough. As an Iron Dragon Slayer, all he needed was metal to eat and he would be fine. But he learned very quickly that it was impossible to avoid people. So he made the decision to join a guild.

* * *

He couldn't remember the name of the first guild he joined. As a registered mage of this guild, he could earn jewels so that he could live. But his stay in this guild didn't last long. The people in this guild were annoying. They wanted to be his friend. They asked him questions like where was he born, what magic did he practice, how long had been a mage... It irritated him to no end. The people in his guild were trying to get close to him just like Metalicana had so long ago. He didn't want attachments anymore. He didn't want to feel the heartache the dragon left him with.

How could these people want attachments? How could they make connections like this knowing that it will disappear? Gajeel understood the concept of death. It was the end of that connection. Those who were left behind felt the same ache he felt when Metalicana left him. How did people cope? He didn't get it.

One day, he just couldn't take it anymore. He quit the guild and left to be on his own.

It was then that he had an epiphany. Gajeel wanted others to feel the pain that he felt when Metalicana left him. It was perfect. How had he not come up with this before? If the Dragon Slayer did this, then they would know the futility of being attached.

Gajeel's target were the people in his former guild. Those people wanted to be his friend. He would teach them how stupid it was to want to connect with him.

It was a slaughter. Gajeel brought them pain. None could stand against him and his powerful Dragon Slayer magic. Only the guild master provided him a challenge but Gajeel was stronger. The guild master fell, defeated.

When Gajeel had defeated everyone in his former guild, he laughed for hours. He had never felt this happy since Metalicana disappeared. It was a great high. Now they would know how foolish it was to be attached. It was a lesson Gajeel was happy to teach them. He broke them in such a way that many of his former guildmates quit being mages.

The destruction of his former guild attracted the attention of one Jose Porla.

"Such power." The guild master said gleefully. "You have quite the gift."

"What's it to you?" The Iron Dragon Slayer spat.

"What is your name?" Jose asked.

"Gajeel." He responded tersely. "What of it?"

"Gajeel-san, why did you attack this guild?"

Gajeel took in the appearance of the man with whom he was conversing. _What a freak_, he thought. "I wanted to teach them a lesson." He told him flatly.

Jose chuckled. "Well, you certainly taught them thoroughly." Then he smiled. "You know, I could use a mage like you in my guild."

Gajeel growled. "I didn't just destroy this guild to join another. I don't want to be attached."

"Is that why you attacked this guild? To teach them the futility in friendship and camaraderie?" Jose mused aloud. "What a noble goal. Then I want you all the more. With your power, Phantom Lord will be the strongest guild in all of Fiore."

Gajeel was shocked. "Didn't you just hear me?"

"I did. That's why I want you." Jose sneered at the bodies of the defeated guild members. "There are more guilds like this that believe in the power of nakama. It is quite infuriating. Someone like you can show the world so much pain."

Gajeel was in awe of this man. Finally, someone understood him. The Iron Dragon Slayer made his decision. He followed Jose Porla and joined Phantom Lord.

* * *

Phantom Lord was perfect for Gajeel. They didn't bother him. They didn't try to connect with him. They left him be. Gajeel took missions whenever he felt like it or whenever Master Jose asked him. He came and went as he pleased. But more importantly, he took joy whenever he showed others the futility of making connections.

But then, his world would change.

Phantom Lord was contacted by one Jude Heartfilia. The mission was to take back his daughter, Lucy, from Fairy Tail and return her into his care. Master Jose gave Gajeel the lead on this mission. While he distracted the Fairies, the Element Four would capture Lucy and hold her for ransom until they bled her father dry. Gajeel was happy. He would get to show these Fairies pain.

The first thing that Gajeel did was to attack the physical building. It served two purposes. One was to let Fairy Tail know who it was that attacked them. The second was to provoke the Fairies into attacking Phantom Lord, leaving the girl defenseless. However, they were not provoked.

Gajeel didn't mind though. It just meant that he could use more drastic measures to provoke them. It was going to be fun.

Gajeel found a potential target. A petite blue-haired woman was walking with two men. When he saw the Fairy Tail mark on her back, he smirked. Time to this fairy how horrible attachments can be.

The Iron Dragon Slayer first attacked her two companions. Two Iron Dragon Clubs were launched to the back of the necks of her two companions, effectively preventing them from being capable fighters.

The blue-haired fairy gasped and turned around to see him grinning at the sight.

He expected despair. What he got was some weird fire spell launched at him. He was thrown back, not due of the force of the attack but because of the shock. Gajeel's smile turned sadistic.

"Trying to make this interesting, eh little fairy?" Gajeel laughed. "Gi hi hi. I'm game."

The blue-haired girl scowled at him. "I'll make you pay for hurting Jet and Droy."

Her two male companions groaned. "Levy, run." One said.

"You are no match for him." The other added.

"I am not abandoning you guys." The girl, identified as Levy, cried. "We are Team Shadow Gear. We stick together in the good times and the bad."

Gajeel's smirk turned into a frown when he saw the display. There it was again. Attachments. Was this girl really going to suffer for these bonds?

"You should run, little fairy." Gajeel grounded out. "Hell, I'll even give you a head start. Get your precious fairies over here, shrimp."

Levy defiantly looked into the eyes of the big bad Dragon Slayer. "I'll never run away from my nakama. That's the spirit of Fairy Tail."

It wasn't a fight after that. Gajeel showed this pitiful fairy the way of the world. Attachments cause pain and he gave her pain. But, what irritated her was that she never cried out, not once. Why didn't she?

"You're pretty tough for a tiny girl." The Dragon Slayer mocked her. He then picked her up by the scruff of her neck to look her in the eyes.

Bruised, bloodied and broken, Levy smirked at him. "That's because Fairy Tail won't take this lying down. They will rise up and you will regret ever messing with us."

Gajeel glared for a bit. Then he smiled. "I'm counting on it."

The Iron Dragon Slayer knocked out the blue-haired fairy and took to crucifying them on a tree. But Gajeel wasn't happy. The defiance of that shrimp resonated with him. He didn't like it. What started out as a mission to show this girl the ridiculousness of connections ended with her standing with her nakama even through the pain.

He returned to Phantom Lord stomping. Other than to tell his master that the job was completed, he avoided his guildmates and they avoided him.

* * *

The next day, Fairy Tail came as planned. Gajeel was ecstatic. His plan worked perfectly. They were riled up and the target was completely defenseless. Allowing the Fairy Tail master to pass and deal with Master Jose, he took part in the war taking place inside his guild.

Gajeel took special joy in fighting Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayer, the one known as Salamander. In a sense, they were kindred spirits. And although he wanted to rip Salamander to pieces, Gajeel was ordered to just hold him at bay until Fairy Tail's master was defeated.

And then it came. The tiny master fell from the top floor of the guild. He looked in the eyes of each and every Fairy. They looked so lost without their master. It was beautiful, a high that he had never achieved before. The fairies were suffering greatly for their attachment. But Gajeel knew it was not over yet. The Iron Dragon Slayer knew that the target, Lucy Heartfilia, would be captured by the Element Four. This would cause the fairies to suffer more. Perhaps it will be enough for them to break.

But the girl escaped from their clutches and was rescued.

Gajeel didn't care. In fact, he was a bit happy. Let her reunite with her broken Fairies. It'll make their suffering greater the next time she was taken from them.

But Master Jose wasn't done with Fairy Tail yet. He wanted them eradicated. And that was fine with Gajeel. But Jose had another task for him before Fairy Tail was to be destroyed. He was to recover Lucy Heartfilia. The Iron Dragon Slayer laughed and left to carry out his task.

It was easy. The girl was being protected by such weaklings. Seriously, a fat painter and some pretty boy? These people were protecting the target? Gajeel made quick work of them and secured the girl, taking her back to Phantom Lord.

Once he was back in his guild, he waited. Gajeel knew that someone would try to take her back. He was hoping it was the Salamander. Oh how much fun it would be to take out another Dragon Slayer.

And then he smelled him. So Gajeel decided that he would have a little fun with londie to get him riled up and to break the girl beyond repair.

But she didn't flinch. In fact, she mocked him. Blondie took all that he gave her and told him that Fairy Tail would destroy him. It ticked him off. It was the same thing that the blue-haired fairy had said.

Why didn't they break? Why were they not seeing the foolishness of attachments? Didn't they know that one day those attachments would disappeared? The world is cruel and the only way to survive is to return the cruelty.

Gajeel decided to make an example of her. Blondie would be the first to go.

But it didn't happen. The Salamander came and protected her from the fatal blow.

They traded blows while the pink-haired Dragon Slayer spouted off some nonsense about Fairy Tail being strong because of their bonds. It made him sick. Gajeel hated it. He decided to show him how stupid his bonds were. So he beat him within an inch of his life.

But Blondie wasn't sitting on her hands. She called some horse man with a bow and arrow to destroy some of the machinery, causing an explosion. Salamander ingested the fire and regained his strength. With his newly restored power, the Fire Dragon Slayer defeated Gajeel.

After the battle was over, the Salamander had asked him if he knew a dragon named Igneel. Gajeel scoffed. He didn't want to talk about dragons. The one dragon that he had known had betrayed him, had left him without an explanation and caused his heart to ache. But then the pink-haired guy asked him if his dragon disappeared on July 7, X777.

Gajeel's eyes widened. How could he had known? Salamander told him that his own dragon disappeared on that date as well.

For the longest time, Gajeel thought that Metalicana had abandoned him. It hurt just to think about it. He always wondered why. But now, the Salamander tells him that his dragon had gone as well. Maybe, just maybe, Metalicana didn't leave him. Something happened to him.

And then he remembered, for the first time in a long time, how happy he was to be with the dragon. He had remembered the times that he smiled, I mean truly smiled. He remembered that feeling of contentment. The attachment he had with Metalicana left him satisfied.

Gajeel, on that day, left Phantom Lord and separated himself from society. He had to think.

* * *

He thought about all of the people he had hurt: his former guild, Fairy Tail, and that blue-haired girl. And he thought about the attachments that these fairies made and how strong it made them. Perhaps there was something to these bonds.

Makarov, Fairy Tail's guild master, found him one day in his seclusion. He offered Gajeel a fresh start in his guild. Gajeel was touched. Even after what he did to their guild, he was invited to join Fairy Tail. For the first time since Metalicana disappeared, Gajeel wanted an attachment. He accepted Makarov's offer.

But old habits are hard to break. When he first joined Fairy Tail, he kept mostly to himself. But Juvia, another former Phantom mage, had encouraged him to make friends.

It was difficult at first. Not many people trusted him after what he did to their guild. So he decided to treat them to his super-awesome singing talent. Gajeel thought it went over pretty well.

His biggest breakthrough though happened on a morning when he was leaving for a job. He was confronted by the two guys he had once crucified to a tree. Gajeel now knew them as Jet and Droy. The two were with that blue-haired girl who he now knew as Levy McGarden. They attacked him but he didn't fight back. The attacks didn't hurt him. If this is what they needed to move on, he'd let them. Levy, however, didn't want anything to do with it. She pleaded for them to stop. Then, some punk came and attacked him. Jet and Droy called him Laxus. Laxus repeatedly struck him with lightning and still he did not fight back. But when Levy tried to stop Laxus, he through a thunderbolt at her. Gajeel intervened and protected her from being attacked.

When Gajeel left to go on his mission, he was plagued with thoughts. Why **DID** he save Levy from being attacked? Was it for atonement? If that were the case, then why didn't he just move her out of the way? He didn't know and he didn't dwell on it long.

After the Battle of Fairy Tail, he formed more attachments. Natsu, the Salamander, was more comfortable with him being in the guild. Mirajane had warmed up to him. The Master even entrusted Gajeel with an important mission. After Edolas, he formed an attachment with Pantherlily and he was very happy to have his own Exceed.

But his most important connection was with Levy. Gajeel didn't realize it until after he told her that he would be her partner for the S-class advancement exams. She had forgiven him and was totally comfortable in his presence. She talked to him normally and was unguarded around him, unlike some of the other guildmembers. Why she did so remained a mystery.

During the S-class exams, Gajeel and Levy got into a fight and she ran off somewhere. Gajeel got worried and went out looking for her. He found her being attacked by two strangers. He stepped in front of the attack that was meant for her. For the first time, Gajeel was angry that someone tried to sever his attachment. After telling her to find the others, the Iron Dragon Slayer proceeded to destroy the two who would take his bond away.

It was then that Gajeel realized that his attachment to Levy was growing stronger: stronger than his attachment to the Master who gave him a new beginning, stronger than his attachments to his fellow Dragon Slayers who were the same as him, stronger than his attachment to Lily who was his best friend and even stronger than Metalicana who raised him. This girl caused him to experience many feelings: happiness, contentment and acceptance. It frightened him.

Gajeel was no fool. No bond, however strong, would last forever. His bond with Levy will disappear someday. And he didn't want to go through the same thing he did when Metalicana disappeared.

And so, as he was thinking about her and their attachment one day while coming back from a mission, Gajeel had spotted Levy trying to carry 12 tomes by herself. He could see her struggling to walk. Gajeel thought it was hilarious. He snuck up behind her and grabbed a bunch of her books.

"Hey those are mine." Levy shouted at her unknown assailant before she turned around

"Gi hi hi!" Gajeel snickered. "I thought I'd just give you a hand, short stuff."

When Levy turned around, she saw Gajeel grinning at her with her books in his hands.

"Gajeel." She squeaked. Gajeel thought it was cute.

But he caught himself. The Iron Dragon Slayer knew where exactly these thoughts were heading. His attachment with Levy was becoming too much for him.

"Thank you." The blue-haired woman smiled.

When Levy smiled, Gajeel was lost. "Yeah, whatever." He quickly rebounded. "I'm just doing because you are going to give me something good later." He smirked dangerously.

"Something good?" Levy's face turned bright red.

Gajeel knelt over so he was looking at her face to face. "Yeah! You are going to feed me iron afterwards."

It took Levy some time to process the information. "Y-yeah iron." She stammered.

Gajeel nudged her along. "Let's go, shrimp. The quicker we carry this to wherever you're going, the quicker I get fed."

Levy smiled again. "Thanks, Gajeel. It's this way."

As Levy led him, Gajeel came to a decision. Regardless of whether his attachment to this girl would disappear, he would cherish the time that he spent with her. She was worth it.

* * *

_Word Count: 3,400  
_

**And that is the letter A. At first, I had that A was for Apathy but as I was writing this, I realized that attachment suited Gajeel. I always felt that someone like him would have hated attachments until his arrival in Fairy Tail. So I went with that.**

**Anyways, Love it? Hate it? Have no opinion whatsoever?**

**Leave me a review. It would totally make my day. Really! And it gives me the motivation to continue.**

**Here's a sneak peek at the next chapter. Can you guess the B word I am going to use?**

_Levy would sometimes compare herself with the other women in her guild. Compared to them, she felt flat-chested and tiny. She wondered if she could ever attract a man with her looks._

**So, until next time boys and girls...**

**A. Angel**


	2. B is for Body Image

**Well, here we are. Chapter two of Gajeel and Levy.**

**I want to thank my reviewers, especially StarIntheDream who caught some of my mistakes in the first chapter. I was probably rushing to finish this before I fell asleep and skipped right over it. Now, it's corrected and there was much rejoicing.  
**

**And to those who guessed Beautiful as being the B word, I'll give you guys one point, although there's a reason I chose Body Image for the B word. So a point to LovelyAnimeLover, StarryHeaven and Az-sticker.**

* * *

**B is for Body Image**

_Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ~ Old Proverb_

For the longest time, Levy wasn't worried about her physical appearance. She realized long ago that there are some things that one can change and some things that one cannot change. She couldn't change the fact that she was small in stature. (Levy tried on heels once but she fell face first the second she tried to walk.) She also couldn't change the fact that she had small breasts. (Actually, she had a B cup. It's the other girls who have large breasts.)

There were many adjectives to describe her. Levy is cute. Levy is adorable. Levy is pretty. She was happy to receive these compliments. But the fact of the matter is that her appearance hadn't bothered her at all. She knew that she was a capable mage

But all of that changed because of one small detail.

Levy McGarden fell in love... with Gajeel Redfox

She had no idea when it started but it had to have been sometime between the Battle of Fairy Tail and the S-class exams. For the life of her, Levy couldn't understand why it was that she fell for him. I mean, there were so many other guys in the guild. Plus they had ... history would be the best way to put it.

A talk with Mirajane convinced her that Levy had forgiven Gajeel and it was okay to be attracted to him. The barmaid told her to confess to the dragon slayer.

Levy was scared to confess. It wasn't that Gajeel terrified her, not anymore. It was more to the fact that this was uncharted territory. She had never fallen for someone. It took a lot of convincing from Lucy, Juvia, and Mira but Levy was sold on the idea.

When she had confessed, Gajeel told Levy that he couldn't accept her feelings. The Solid Script mage was crushed. Did he know how long it took her to work up the courage to tell him? But Gajeel had told Levy that he still felt guilty about what had happened between them. He said that until he felt that he had redeem himself, he couldn't accept her feelings.

Levy was hurt that night. Her heart ached and she cried into the morning. Afterwards, the Solid Script mage understood Gajeel's feelings. Levy felt like she was being selfish trying to make him like her. Even though _she_ had moved on passed the incident, Gajeel had not. So Levy made the decision to wait for him to forgive himself.

It would happen three weeks later when she, Jet and Droy were on a mission. They chose to take on an escort mission. Bring some noble from point A to point B. Easy, right? They never arrived. Team Shadow Gear was ambushed by a dark guild. Jet and Droy landed in the hospital. Levy was kidnapped. Gajeel had saved her, completely obliterating every member.

Since then, their conversations became easier. They were more comfortable in each other's presence. Levy was truly happy to be around Gajeel like this. She felt that now what she felt for the Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't a crush like when she confessed the first time. Now Levy could say that she was in love with Gajeel.

But herein, as the bard said, lies the romp.

Now that she had admitted that she was in love with Gajeel, Levy started to truly care about her physical appearance. Every day when she woke up, the blue-haired girl would look at herself in the mirror. She couldn't help it. She started to compare herself to the other women in Fairy Tail. She made three observations.

They had large breasts, D cups at least.

They had very defined curves.

They wore clothing that accentuated their large breasts and defined curves.

Levy, meanwhile, had small breasts. (It was probably the first time that she cursed the fact she wasn't busty like her friends. I mean, the only one whose breasts were smaller was Wendy and that's because she was still 12. Levy was 18. She had grown out as much as she would.) She had very few curves. The only place where the Solid Script mage's curves were accentuated was her hips. And she wore simple clothes that neither complimented her body nor hid it.

Levy started to remember all of the adjectives that people used the describe her: Cute, adorable, pretty. She frowned. Never once was she called beautiful, gorgeous, sexy, etc...

The Solid Script mage was starting to get depressed. Was she not beautiful? Was she not drop dead gorgeous? Was she not sexy?

Levy couldn't stand it anymore. She needed to talk to someone about it.

* * *

It was a normal day for Levy. She was talking with Jet and Droy about taking a mission at the guild board.

"How about defeating bandits?" Jet asked. "450,000 jewels?"

"Nah, let's go with capturing the legendary three-horned stag?" Droy countered. "975,000 jewels."

Jet schmoozed up to Levy. "You like my idea better, right?"

"That's stupid." Droy glared at his teammate. "Levy definitely liked my mission better."

Levy sighed. She was completely used to their bickering. Seven years have gone by and they still acted the same. But the Solid Script mage wouldn't change them for the world.

Levy saw the doors to the guild open, revealing Natsu and Lucy, hand in hand.

The blue-haired mage was both happy for her friend and jealous of what she had. From what she had seen, Natsu treated Lucy well. Then there was Gray and Juvia. They were together six months now and still going strong. It made her wonder if she would ever experience what Lucy and Juvia felt. Then again, it wouldn't matter if it wasn't Gajeel.

Happy burst into the guild and convinced Natsu to come with him. The two left Lucy while they headed home.

"What was that about?" Lucy wondered aloud.

Levy skipped to her friend. "What happened with you and Natsu, Lu-chan?" She asked.

"I don't know." Lucy shrugged her shoulders. "If I had to guess, Happy just wants Natsu's opinion on what fish to give Carla." The blonde giggled.

"Maybe he's got a girl on the side." Levy teased.

The Stellar Spirit mage gasped dramatically. "Perish the thought, Levy-chan."

The two burst out laughing.

Then Levy's eyes shined. "I just got a good idea. Why don't you come with us on a mission? We haven't gone on one in the longest."

Lucy seemed unsure. "I wanted to wait for Natsu."

Levy turned serious. "There's something I want to talk to you about, Lu-chan."

The blonde smiled. "Alright."

Lucy walked over to the bar where Mirajane was tending to things there.

"Good morning, Lucy." Mira smiled. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Yeah. Can you tell Natsu that I went on a mission with Levy-chan and I'll make it up to him when I come back?" She asked.

"Of course." Mira answered her. "What mission will you take?

Levy picked the perfect mission. "I have one." She read off the details to the mission. "It says, please remove the hex that was placed on our hospital. It pays 600,000."

"Where is the job?" Lucy asked. She didn't want to be away from Natsu on a long mission without telling him face to face.

"It's in the next town over, Sable Izole." Levy told her. "In fact, if we hit the train now, we can get there in the afternoon, remove the hex, stay for the night and return by next afternoon."

Lucy nodded. "Alright."

With that, Team Shadow Gear and Lucy headed out to Sable Izole.

* * *

They reached the town as the sun was nearing the end of its daily course.

Sable Izole is a modest town. It wasn't the bustling city of Magnolia. Nor was it the boondocks. For all intents and purposes, it was a town where people lived at a slow pace.

Team Shadow Gear and Lucy headed to the hospital to talk with the man who put up the mission. While Jet was telling Droy a corny story and Droy was chomping into his third chicken drumstick, Lucy used this opportunity to talk to Levy.

"So what is it that you want to talk about, Levy-chan?" She asked.

Levy shushed her. "Not so loud. I don't want them to hear."

Jet and Droy got up on either side of her. "Ehhh. Levy has a problem?" They shouted together. "You should tell us." They yelled in sync.

Lucy watched bemusedly as the two once again vied for her attention, silently apologizing for causing this.

"It's nothing, really." She laughed nervously, not trying to cause her teammates to be concerned over her. "It's just girl talk for just us girls."

This placated her teammates and they went on ahead to the hospital.

"I'll talk to you about it tonight." Levy whispered.

"Okay." Lucy replied.

The mission was easy. The hospital was cursed by someone familiar with the Keter hex writing. It was a four-level defense sentience spell that prevented anyone but the mage who cast it from removing the hex by attacking the intruder. A prankster mage decided that it would be funny to hex the building, preventing anyone from receiving the care that they would need.

Levy came up with a brilliant strategy. While she worked to remove the hex, Jet would use his speed to distract the sentience and keep the focus on him. Lucy would attack the building with Sagittarius to create an opening where the Solid Script mage can enter the words needed to remove the hex. And Droy would use plant magic to protect Levy from any attacks.

The plan worked flawlessly and in the end, the team was victorious.

* * *

After a job well done, the mages split the earnings of their job. Calling it a day, the foursome found a hotel to rest before they headed out tomorrow. They rented two rooms, one for the guys and one for the girls.

Levy and Lucy entered their room and gasped. The room had a quaint rustic charm to it. Dropping their stuff onto their respective beds, the girls decided that it would be a good time for a shower.

They had finished and changed into their night clothes soon after. Lucy took this opportunity to continue where they left off.

"So what is it that you need to ask me?" Lucy started.

Levy took a deep breath and exhaled. "It's about me and Gajeel." The blue-haired mage answered, twirling a lock of her short hair with her finger.

"Oh my god, are you two going out now?" Lucy nearly shrieked.

"No, we aren't." Levy's face fell.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The blond comforted her friend.

Levy sighed again. "Lu-chan, can I ask you a question?"

Lucy smiled wanly. "You can ask me anything."

"Do you think that he doesn't find me attractive?" Levy asked, tears in her eyes.

Lucy gasped. She had no idea that her friend was still going after Gajeel, even after he had basically rejected her in front of the entire guild.

"Why are you still going after Gajeel?" She asked. "I thought that he doesn't feel the same way about you."

Levy's eyes were downcast. "That's not it." She choked out. "He feels extremely guilty for what happened before..." She trailed off.

Lucy understood. The Phantom Lord incident. To think that he would still feel guilty over an incident that happened over 8 years ago...

"You are a lot stronger than me, Levy-chan." Lucy confessed. "To still chase after a guy who didn't accept your feelings when you confessed..."

"I was being selfish that night." Levy sighed. "I never once considered his feelings. I should have, though."

Lucy patted her friend's shoulders. "Levy-chan, you really love Gajeel."

Levy felt tears stinging her eyes. "Any normal person would just move on."

"But who in Fairy Tail is normal?" Lucy chided.

A light chuckle left the blue-haired girl's lips. "Certainly not us."

The girls then fell into giggles.

Lucy smiled. "So you want to get Gajeel's attention?" She asked. "You know, you are attractive."

"Yeah, I don't feel like it sometimes." Levy smiled ruefully.

Lucy closed her brown eyes. "You know what I do when I don't feel sexy?"

"Make out with Natsu." Levy smirked at Lucy's immediate blush.

"N-no." The Stellar Spirit mage stuttered. "I go shopping for clothes."

Levy furrowed her eyebrows. "Clothes shopping?"

"Yeah. You'd be surprised what a change of clothes can do for you." The blonde told her friend. "Maybe if you do, you can get the attention of a certain Iron Dragon Slayer."

Levy's ears turned red. She refused to respond. Instead, the Solid Script mage jumped into her bed, grabbing a book out of her bag to read.

Lucy sighed. "You know, you shouldn't compare yourself with anyone but you." She told her friend. "You are beautiful. You just need to open up a little more."

With that, Lucy went to bed herself.

* * *

Team Shadow Gear and Lucy returned to Magnolia where Natsu was waiting for them at the station. After hugging his girlfriend, Natsu told Levy and her team that they were needed at the guild.

As Levy was about to leave, she heard Lucy's voice calling out to her. "Remember what we talked about." The girl blushed.

"What did you talk about with Lucy, Levy?" Jet asked.

"Yeah, you don't have to keep secrets from us." Droy quipped.

"I told you that it was girl talk, guys." She told them. "You know, doing our nails, talking about guys, picking out clothes. Girl stuff." Levy didn't want to explain to them that she was talking about Gajeel.

It was no secret that they didn't approve of him still. Even though he had saved her that one time during the escort mission, Jet and Droy's impression of the dragon slayer would still be that one night when he attacked Team Shadow Gear.

"Ahh, the infamous girl talk." Jet nodded sagaciously.

"Shut up. Like you know the minds of women." Droy spat.

Levy had learned to stay out of their fights long ago. As they were walking towards the guild, they passed a clothes boutique. Levy looked into the store curiously. Lucy's words rang inside her head. Maybe a new look would help her snag Gajeel's attention.

"Jet, Droy. You two go on ahead." She called out to her teammates. "I just want to drop by here for a second."

They nodded and headed to the guild. Levy entered the boutique, hoping for a new look.

* * *

When Levy entered the guild, she saw Gray and Elfman putting up a banner that read "Happy Birthday, Lucy."

Levy gasped. "It's Lucy's birthday? How come this is the first time I've heard about this."

Mirajane waved to her from behind the counter. "Ahh, you're here, Levy. You're just in time to help us set up decorations." She smiled. "And if you are wondering, we just learned about Lucy's birthday yesterday from Natsu."

"Then how come Natsu didn't say anything sooner?" Levy was a little miffed that Natsu would hold back something as important as Lucy's birthday. She had half a mind to beat him over the head with one of her heavy tome.

"Because he just learned about it yesterday." Mira told her. "Apparently, Lucy's aunt had sent her a present for her birthday."

"Oh." Levy gasped. Perhaps there would be no hitting after all.

Mira then appraised Levy's new look. Levy had on a tight little black skirt which made her feel like her legs were constricted. She wore black high heels that added four inches to her height, making her steps wobbly. She had on a tube top but it seemed like she was totally uncomfortable in it. Her blue hair was straighten and drawn back. Her face had more make up than necessary. But what really drew her attention was Levy's chest. It seemed as though she had put on a wonder bra.

The barmaid smiled. "Are you trying to impress someone?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"I was just trying out a new look." Levy admitted.

Mira didn't let the words fool her. "Well, you can help with putting up some tablecloths. They are behind the stage."

Levy made her way to the stage, wobbling along the way. How does Evergreen walk around in these? As she was halfway there, she heard someone swear.

"Dammit, why is there so much stuff back here?" The voice yelled.

"Stop complaining and let's finish this." Another voice replied.

Levy gasped and turned around to see Mira smiling back. "She planned this?" She thought aloud. Levy's eyes widened. However, the Solid Script mage would not be deterred. Now to see if she was drop dead gorgeous.

Levy unsteadily made her way behind the stage to see Gajeel arguing with his Exceed partner, Pantherlily

"I still don't understand why I have to do this?" Gajeel grumbled. "I don't even care if it's Bunny-girl's birthday. Isn't it Salamander's job to _celebrate_ her birthday?"

Levy gasped at the connotations of the word celebrate.

The gasp was heard by the two who turned around.

"Good evening, Levy." Lily greeted. "You are looking lovely tonight."

"Well, if you are here short stuff, that means extra hands to finish this job." Gajeel grumbled.

Levy couldn't help but feel dejected when it was _the cat_ who noticed her new look. But she didn't let it show.

"Good evening, Lily, Gajeel." She answered back. "Mira sent me back here to help get some tablecloths."

"Well, I haven't seen them." Gajeel grumbled. "I've been looking for the same thing for over an hour. I swear, I'm beginning to think that we don't have any." He then pointed to a bunch of boxes. "But I haven't checked there so knock yourself out."

Levy sighed. How can it be that this look doesn't grab his attention either. What a waste.

She made her way to the unopened boxes when suddenly she slipped on her high heels and fell on the hard, unforgiving floor.

Gajeel and Lily rushed to her side.

"What happened, bookworm?" The black haired man asked.

"I slipped on my heels." Levy responded, totally embarrassed by the fact that she made a fool out of herself in front of the man she loves.

"Why are you wearing heels in the first place?" Gajeel probed. "You are falling all over the place in them."

The blue-haired girl didn't look the dragon slayer in the eye. "I just wanted to try on a new look." She made a desperate gamble. "What do you think?"

Lily took this opportunity to fly away, leaving the two alone.

Gajeel looked her straight in her eyes. "I think you look like a whore." He responded tersely.

Levy responded swiftly with a slap in the face. Tears started to stream down her face. "How could you say something like that?" She cried.

"Because it's the truth." The dragon slayer answered, nursing his red cheek. "You look like someone coming out of a night club looking for a man to sleep with."

Levy had never been more angry with Gajeel in her life. On uncertain feet, she got up. "Of all the things to say." She was about to walk away when her hand was grabbed.

Gajeel waited for her to turn around before he said anything else. When she did, he continued. "This look isn't you." He told her simply. "You aren't a whore, Levy. So don't dress like one."

Levy's eyes widened, partially because he had addressed her as Levy, which he only did when he was serious and partially because of what he had said.

"You were fine in your other clothes." Gajeel's voice came out steady and calm. "I don't know why you are dressing like this but it isn't you and I don't like it."

Levy's tears stopped immediately. "I just wanted to try a new look." She admitted. "Lately, I haven't been feeling beautiful. I mean, I'm short, I'm flat-chested, I'm weak. so I thought that some new clothes would..."

"Who's been telling you that?" The dragon slayer growled. "Because they are full of shit."

Levy's eyes were the size of saucer plates. She wondered if it were actually coming from Gajeel's mouth.

"You really think that?" She asked, not trusting her voice.

"You have great qualities." Gajeel murmured. "Just for the record, you aren't short, you are compact. And sure, compared to these other girls your breasts aren't that big, but you aren't flat-chested either."

Levy couldn't believe it. Here she was, getting a pep talk from Gajeel of all people. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad.

He let go of her hand now. "You are also an S-level candidate, you know more things about everything than anyone else here combined, and you are a capable mage suited to your field." Gajeel continued. "But beyond that, you are kind, funny and ..." He sighed before he continued. "You were somehow able to forgive me even after all that I've done to you."

Levy smiled. This is the Gajeel that she wanted to see, a kind and careful (and yet so very gruff) person. This is the Gajeel that she fell in love with during the S-class exams.

"Thank you, Gajeel. I feel better now." The blue-haired girl bowed slightly, a blush settling on her face.

"But you haven't heard your best quality." The Iron Dragon Slayer smirked.

"My best quality?" She asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah. Gi hi hi." He snickered.

"What is it?" asked the Solid Script mage.

"Well, your best quality is... your great ass." He answered her with a laugh, lightly swatting her rear end.

Levy stood stunned at what he had said, both horrified and very pleased that he found her physically attractive.

"Well, I've got better things to do than to look for tablecloths." He said without preamble. With that, the guy shouted for Lily and left the guild.

Levy felt like she was physically rooted to the spot. She couldn't believe what she had heard.

"He's right you know." A voice wafted around Levy.

She turned around to see the smiling face of Cana.

"Cana?" She shrieked. "How much did you hear?"

"All of it." The card mage smirked as if it wasn't important that this was suppose to be a moment between her and Gajeel. "And he's right. You can't pull off the whore look at all. And I know what you are really trying to do, even though that dumbass can't."

She blushed. Then Levy then took inventory of what she was wearing. "Yeah. I kinda feel silly now."

"You are going about dressing to impress all wrong." Cana told her in all seriousness. "You need to be dressing to your strengths. Show off your great backside."

"How do I do that?" Levy asked.

Cana leaned over to whisper in Levy's ears.

* * *

Somehow, Gajeel was convinced into being there for Lucy's 18 birthday (it should have been her 25th but everyone involved with the Tenrou incident lost 7 years). He was sitting at his usual table, a sour look on his face when suddenly, the doors open. Normally, he wouldn't care who it was at the door but something in the back of his mind compelled him to take a look.

It was Levy. She was holding a book and sported a new look.

Gajeel's jaw nearly dropped when he saw what she was wearing. Gone was the whore clothes from yesterday. Today she was wearing a yellow vest top. No wait, scratch that. It was a _backless_ yellow vest top, tied at the neck and below her breasts. His red eyes followed the curve of her back, starting from her neck to the guild stamp to the curve of her spine to...

"What the hell is she wearing?" He screamed in his head. Gajeel began to sweat profusely.

Well, she wore knee-high black boots that complimented her legs. But what really got his attention were the short jeans. Make that the very short and very tight jeans that barely covered her rear end.

"Those aren't pants." He moaned mentally. "That is a glorified belt. God she looks freakin' sexy and drop dead gorgeous." The red eyed man did his best to resist temptation but it wasn't looking good. All he wanted was to ravish her in front of everyone.

And then it happened. Levy accidentally dropped her book. She bent over to pick it up, showing off her glorious rear end.

Levy heard a loud crash as she retrieved her book. She looked over to where the sound came from and saw Gajeel sprawled out on the floor. She, along with several others, went over to see what happened.

"I have no idea what happened." Lily told everyone. "One minute he's fine, the next he's like this."

Levy snuck a peek at Gajeel. He was passed out unconscious, which was strange because he didn't drink any alcohol yet. His face was flushed and blood was profusely flowing from his nose.

Levy knelt down next to him. "Gajeel, are you okay?" She asked, worried about him.

"Freakin' sexy." She had heard him mumble, causing the girl to blush

"I guess he'll be fine." Lily shrugged his cat-like shoulders. "I doubt something like this is enough to kill him, whatever it was."

Levy got up from kneeling and smiled. She turned to Cana, who smirked back.

Levy had did it. She had gotten Gajeel to say that she was gorgeous.

"That's funny." She thought. "This is also the first time I've ever gotten a one hit KO as well."

* * *

_Word Count: 4282_

**And that is chapter two.**

**Before I end this, I have to say this. As a guy, I am telling you that you women are beautiful. So don't let people tell you that you aren't. It irritates the hell out of me when women put themselves down because they don't look like so and so. You don't have to look like so and so. You are beautiful the way you are.**

**Anyways... love it? Hate it? Have no opinion one way or the other? I've made a mistake and I need to correct it? Leave a review. It'll make me happy.**

**And here's a preview of the next chapter.**

_Gajeel liked everything simple. Beat up this guy. Take this mission. Simple. But when he got together with Levy, his world was no longer simple. But he was fine with that._

**So what's the C word for the next chapter? Any guesses. Leave them in your review.**

**Until next time,**

**A. Angel.**


	3. C is for Complicated

**Well, here we are. Chapter three. This one's going to be a light and fluffy one. I find it contradictory though. The essence of Gajeel/Levy love is Gajeel's path to redemption. But I figure that they are due their lighter moments. So here it is.  
**

**In response to the reviews concerning Gajeel's taste in women, that actually came from a picture profile. A chibi Gajeel staring at Levy's rear end. It's Levy's draw. I think AngelKnightKaoru had it right when I came up with Gajeel's bloody nose fountain a la Soul Eater. However, she has broken Excalibur's rule 38: Never drink tea downwind of a river.  
**

**I also want to thank all of you lovely reviews, especially the ones who are reading all three stories in the Fairy Tail Project challenge.  
**

**Finally, the points. Six points to LovelyAnimeLover and luvr4fantanim for guessing the word.  
**

**Now, our feature presentation.**

* * *

**C is for Complicated**

_There is no such thing as a simple relationship because they involve people and there are no such things as simple people._

If Gajeel would have describe his day to day life in one word, it would be simple.

Wake up. Eat some iron. Go to the guild. Pick up a mission. Eat some actual food. Leave on the mission. Eat some iron. Finish mission. Head back. Eat some iron. Go back to the house. Eat some iron. Go to sleep. Do it all over again.

See? Simple.

There was very few deviations from that routine. When Pantherlily entered his life, it didn't change much. The only difference was that there was another occupant in his house. Lily was also a simple man (or cat, whatever). He was just like him so his daily routine was basically the same.

But when the Iron Dragon Slayer started dating Levy, his life stopped being simple. Don't believe me? Shall we go through a day with Gajeel and Levy? Let's do that right now.

* * *

Wake up

Gajeel didn't feel like waking up this morning. He felt like the world was conspiring against him today. He shifted in his bed until he felt like he was being poked.

"Gajeel, wake up." A voice called out to him.

He knew the owner of that voice but he didn't budge. "No. I'm staying here." He mumbled sleepily.

"Gajeel, please wake up." The same voice begged.

"Nope."

"Okay. You forced me to do this." The voice grounded out.

All of a sudden, Gajeel felt a slimy wetness in his ear. The Iron Dragon Slayer yelped and unceremoniously fell out of his bed. He heard someone laughing.

"Good morning Gajeel." The voice greeted mirthfully.

Blearily, the man cracked open a red eye to see the form of his new girlfriend, Levy McGarden smiling down on him.

"What the hell, woman?" He growled. Weaker men cowered in fear when he growled.

It had no effect on Levy. "You were being stubborn so I had to use drastic measures to get you up."

Gajeel narrowed his eyes. "Drastic measures?" He questioned.

Levy responded by licking her index finger and aiming said finger near his ear.

"You didn't." The Dragon Slayer glared at his blue-haired girlfriend.

Levy smiled.

It is said a loud groan could be heard miles outside of Magnolia that day. Some said it sounded like a wounded animal. Some said it was the death knell of a powerful mage. What no one would believe was that it was Gajeel bemoaning the fact that Solid Script mage, Levy McGarden, had given him a Wet Willie.

* * *

Eat some iron

Inside the shack Gajeel called home was a pile of iron from the scrap yard. He left it in a corner of his living room. And by the way his day started, he was going to need all of the iron he could get.

However, fate is a cruel mistress. His beloved iron was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is it?" He mumbled to himself. "Where is it?" He moaned.

Gajeel lost himself checking the shack for his missing iron. "Where is my iron?" He cried.

"Oh your iron?" Levy cocked her head to one side. "I threw it out. It was all rusted."

Gajeel's eyes widened. "Threw it out?"

"Yeah. You don't eat the rust, right?" She asked.

Gajeel collapsed to the ground as if he were hit with a powerful punch to the gut. "My iron. My precious iron." He bemoaned the fate of his beloved iron.

Levy hugged him from behind. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I didn't mean it."

Gajeel gently placed one of his large hands on her forearms in response to her hug. "Fine, fine. Just don't cry."

"If you want, I can make some iron for you." She compromised.

Like a kid on Christmas morning, Gajeel's eyes lit up. "Would you really?" He asked softly.

Levy wrote out the word IRON and magically, a block of iron appeared before him.

Mission control. Hunger abated. Crisis averted.

Gajeel happily munched on his iron.

"Feel better?" The small mage asked.

"Yeah. Sorry for snapping at you." Gajeel replied.

"It's okay. And I'm sorry for throwing out your iron. I should have asked before I did that." She apologized.

"S'alright. Now you know for next time."

Gajeel stood up to his full height and stared down at his girlfriend. "Now, are you going to apologize for giving me a Wet Willie?" He glared.

Levy gave him a disarming smile. "Never." She stuck out her tongue at the Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Then I promise you'll regret that, Short Stack." He vowed, stalking dangerously close to the Solid Script mage.

"I doubt that." She smirked, inching closer to the door.

With that, Gajeel chased Levy out of the door all the way to Fairy Tail. Levy laughed all the way.

Ahhh, young love.

* * *

Pick up mission

Gajeel and Levy stared at the board for a while.

"How about this one." He told her. "Beat up some scrub bandits. 210,000 jewels."

"Nah, I don't feel like going on a dangerous mission today." Levy countered.

"It's not dangerous. I'm scarier than any of those bandits." Gajeel answered back.

"Nope. Don't wanna." She crossed her arms and turned his nose up at him.

The Iron Dragon Slayer knew this pose. This was the "I don't wanna" pose. Usually, it was reserved for Jet and Droy who argued between themselves whenever they wanted to look good in front of her. She would get into the pose and not talk to them until they started being reasonable again. Before they were dating, Gajeel thought this was hilarious. The two dogs would plead with her to stop with the pose until they gave in, tails tucked between their legs. He would have never thought this same look would be given to him. But he'd be wrong.

"Come on. I wanna hit something." Gajeel pleaded.

"Nope." Levy said.

The black haired man sighed. "Okay Bookworm, you choose a mission."

Levy's eyes sparkled, momentarily causing Gajeel to lose himself in them. She then pointed to a mission.

"Here's one. Babysit our darling child while we go out for the day. 25,000 jewels." She smiled.

"I don't do well with kids." He admitted.

"Come on. It'll be fun." She pleaded.

"No." Gajeel remained firm.

"Please?" She asked nicely.

"No, Half-pint." He answered.

"Please?" Levy asked again, this time putting a little cuteness to her voice.

Gajeel felt his resolve weakening. "No, Levy." He said with a little less confidence.

The Solid Script mage decided to pull out the big guns. She looked him deep in his red eyes. She clasped her hands together, made her lip quiver slightly and used her secret weapon: PUPPY DOG EYES.

"Pwease, Gajeel-kun." She whispered adorably. "It would really mean a lot to me if you went on this job with me."

Gajeel was gobsmacked. The infamous Puppy Dog eyes comboed with the quivering lip and clasped hands. Of all the dirty tricks...

_The wheels in Gajeel's head started turning. He could see many chibi Gajeels that represented the myriad feelings and emotions inside of him. Warning sirens wailed in his head as he imagined the thought processes formulating inside his head._

_President Gajeel-brain, who wore a sash that said PRESIDENT, sat upon his seat of power, looking at his loyal cabinet._

_"Gentlemen, this is an emergency situation." The president began. "We are facing a crisis here, the likes of which we have never seen. Levy is asking us to go on a job to babysit some brat. Normally, we wouldn't do this but she's pulled out the Puppy Dog eyes. What should we do?" He shouted madly._

_"Give in." One chibi Gajeel yelled. "She's our girlfriend. If we do it, she'll let us ravish her."_

_"Stand our ground." Another chibi Gajeel responded. "We have our pride as a Dragon Slayer. If we give ground up now, we'll end up just like her two lapdogs."_

_"What good is pride if we don't have a girlfriend anymore?" One side shouted._

_"What good is a girlfriend if she takes away our pride? Another side shouted back._

_It was like two opposing factions were shouting over one another to make sure that their voice was heard._

_President Gajeel-brain looked upon the situation grimly._

_"Okay, okay, gentlemen." The president yelled over everyone. "Let's just take a vote."_

_The vote was in. 50 percent said give in. 50 person said hold out. 10 percent said ravish her here and now. Let this be a lesson to all of you. Democracy doesn't work in Gajeel's head, only a dictatorship._

_The President sighed. "I didn't want to have to do this but a leader is remembered when he makes the tough decisions no one likes at first but it works out later on down the line. Therefore, by executive order, I demand that the routine be discarded today."_

_A loud gasp could be heard from his cabinet members. "But Mr. President, this could cost you the election."_

_"This is what must be done, gentlemen and God help us all."_

_The order was given to discard the daily routine._

Gajeel shook his head. "How about we just hang out together since we can't decide on a mission?"

Levy looked shocked. She never thought Gajeel would have suggested that.

She smiled. "That actually sounds like a great idea, Gajeel."

Crisis averted. Thank you, President Gajeel-brain. Four more years.

* * *

The couple wandered around the streets of Magnolia looking for something to do. It was rather quiet today, what with Team Natsu taking Juvia with them on a mission, Lily taking Happy and Carla to visit the Exceeds and Jet and Droy out with the flu. There was no excitement to be found.

Gajeel was a bit lost mentally. Normally, he had an entire routine to follow but since his brain threw that out, the Iron Dragon Slayer was now playing by ear. He felt like the first fish to step out of the water and onto dry land, experiencing this brave new world.

They walked side by side. You would think that walking would be uncomplicated but it actually took them a bit of time to get them to do this in sync. Gajeel would take long strides while Levy would saunter in short bursts. But the Dragon Slayer slowed his gait and Levy quickened hers. It took three days to do that but it worked.

This day, the couple passed by the shopping district just to look.

"Oooh, let's go to the mall." Levy pointed in that direction.

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders as he was led in that direction. If he had known what was to come, I am pretty sure he would have fought harder.

* * *

"How about this one?" Levy asked, holding a sundress to her body.

"Yeah that looks good." Gajeel said simply

Welcome to a man's hell, shopping for clothes with their woman. Of all the activities they could do together, this is probably the most torturous. Gajeel was sitting slump against a chair while Levy was looking for new clothes. He was sulking. Yes, boys and girls, Gajeel Redfox sulks.

"Cana said that I should get clothes that show off my backside." She smiled.

"You mean _my backside_." He told her. "You're with me now and your sexy body belongs to me."

Levy laughed. It always felt nice whenever her boyfriend called her sexy or gorgeous. "That it does."

"That's why I've got to make sure that other guys know that." He smirked dangerously.

"Gajeel, are you jealous?" Her eyes widened.

The long-haired man stood up to his full height, slightly intimidating the petite woman. "Don't you know that dragons are jealous creatures?" He whispered huskily, causing her to shiver in pleasure. "Whenever we find a treasure, we take it and protect it from those who want to steal it from us."

Levy couldn't believe her ears. Never in a million years would she have thought of Gajeel as romantic. It was just so Gajeel. A small smile lit up her face. "You know that I'm yours, though it took you a while to realize that." She said simply.

"I know. And now that you're mine, I'm never letting the best thing in my life go." Gajeel answered and wrapped her in a hug, which she returned.

Levy reluctantly removed herself from his embrace. "Okay." Levy clapped her hands. "Let's go find some more clothes."

Gajeel sighed and sat in the boyfriend chair, resigned to his fate.

* * *

Levy and Gajeel spent four hours and bought one light green sundress.

"Four hours, Short Stack." Gajeel was near frothing. "Four freakin' hours and you got one dress."

Levy learned very quickly not to take his ranting very seriously. "Aww, cheer up." Levy smiled.

Gajeel's response was actual foaming at the mouth.

"How about we do something you want?" She offered.

Gajeel recovered and smirked dangerously. "I want something to eat."

"Okay. Let's go to the guild and get something to eat." Levy answered innocently.

Gajeel leaned down to look Levy in the eyes. "That's not the kind of eats I had in mind."

Levy cocked a blue eyebrow. "What then?" She asked, a little hesitant due to the intense look in his red eyes.

Gajeel leaned in and kissed Levy roughly. Levy squeaked and dropped the box that held her new dress. Instead, she ran her fingers through his long black mane.

When they pulled apart, Gajeel was satisfied with the blush on the Solid Script mage's face. "Now you choose what to do."

Levy stammered, unable to say anything intelligent after that passionate kiss.

"Alright." She said in a small voice. "I want to make one stop."

"Anywhere. I can handle anything." Gajeel said confidently.

* * *

"I can't handle it." Gajeel mumbled in his hands. How dare he tempt the fates by saying that he could handle anything.

"Ooh, I've never heard of this one." Levy squealed in delight as she moved from one side to another.

"This is my fault." The Iron Dragon Slayer moaned. "I shouldn't have walked passed the bookstore."

Sure, he was alright with the fact that his girlfriend was an avid reader who consumed books like he consumed iron. So Gajeel should have already knew that taking her to a bookstore is like taking a kid to a candy store. But after that kiss, his brain had ceased its higher functions.

Gajeel could only sigh as the books piled higher and higher. _Damn you brain_, he cursed mentally.

"I can't wait to read this one." Levy laughed in delight, completely ignoring the groan from her boyfriend. The Solid Script mage could hardly contain herself. She skimmed the titles to see if it interested her.

"Come on, Bookworm." Gajeel growled. "Just pick a book and I'll carry it for you."

"I'll hold you to that." She smiled.

They spent another four hours at the bookstore and she bought almost thirty books.

* * *

Gajeel felt like a pack mule, carrying all of her books. He was unsteady on his feet, swaying every which way as the stack of books swayed as well.

"Come on, Gajeel." Levy cheered him on. "We are almost at my apartment." Levy didn't hear what Gajeel had said because it was muffled by the sound of her books but she figured it was a swear.

"I can help you." The blue-haired woman told him.

"I can do this." He shouted tersely.

Levy narrowed her eyes. "Stupid male pride." She growled. But she led him to her apartment.

The books were safely set in her Fairy Hills apartment. Gajeel roared victoriously, then his back gave out.

One adjusted back later, Gajeel was right as rain. "Told you I could do it." The Iron Dragon said.

Levy didn't answer. She adjusted her gaze to her floor. "I'm sorry, Gajeel."

Gajeel was dumbstruck. Why was she apologizing? "For?"

"I screwed up your day." She whispered softly.

"What do you mean?" He asked, now confused.

"I feel like I'm making your life difficult." She admitted.

Gajeel sighed and ran his hands through his thick mane. "Not difficult. Just complicated." He told her.

"It's the same thing." Levy sighed.

"It's not the same thing." The Iron Dragon Slayer responded. "Before we became... this" he demonstrated by crossing his index and middle finger together. "My life was so simple. I had the same routine day in and day out. But then we got to this point and my life became complicated."

Tears started to well in Levy's eyes. "I'm sorry."

"But my old life was boring." He told her.

"Huh?" Levy gasped.

"Who wants the same thing day in and day out?" He asked hypothetically. "Not me. I'm sick of it now. I want my life to be complicated. I want to do things I haven't done before."

"But you made a big stink about the clothes shopping." Levy told him.

"Because I'm a guy. No guy wants to wait on a girl to buy clothes." Gajeel admitted.

Levy giggled. "So the bookstore is the same thing?"

"Actually, that's all you." Gajeel smirked. "I knew what I was getting into by dating a bookworm. But you know, you could spend a lot less on books."

Levy stuck out her tongue. Gajeel had the urge to grab it to punish the girl. But he refrained.

Her hazel eyes settled on the man in front of her. "Well, then I promise to make your life more complicated." She chuckled.

She leaned in and kissed her Dragon Slayer boyfriend.

"Gi hi." Gajeel snickered. "If this is complicated, then I'm all for it."

* * *

_Word Count: 2938_

**And that's chapter three. Yay chapter done. Well, there's the obligatory fluff.**

**The scene inside Gajeel's brain... I got that idea from a doujinshi. Can't remember which one. I've read so many. But I thought that I needed to make this Gajeel humorous as he's waayyyy too serious.**

**So love it? Hate it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review.**

**Here's a scene for the next chapter**

_Levy refused to believe it at first. This was the man who attacked her, who crucified her, who marked her body with another guild's brand. How the hell did it come about that she had a crush on Gajeel?_

**Can you guess the D word here? Put it in your review.**

**Til next time**

**A. Angel**


	4. D is for Denial

**Well here we are. Chapter 4 of the Gajeel/Levy fic. 12th chapter in the Fairy Tail project. And we're going full steam ahead... or behind, whatever.  
**

**To my reviewers, I am glad you liked the fun and fluff. I figured that they needed the break from being all angsty. The first two chapters had some drama but I wanted a lighter one for chapter three.  
**

**The chibi Gajeels? Where do I begin? Like I said, this idea came from a doujinshi. It was either a digimon or a naruto one. I can't remember. It's been like six years but I still remember the scene. Hilarious. If anyone wants to draw that scene, you're welcome to. Just tell me because I'd want to see it as well.  
**

**To luvr4fantanim, Levy's powers of persuasion are greater than that of a Jedi. Gajeel should be afraid.  
**

**Anyways, as always, reviews make me happy so reading the feedback is like giving spinach to Popeye, an awesome high. (I am pretty sure that damn spinach is drug-laced.  
**

**Three points to dorac, LovelyAnimeLover and Mathqueen2 for guessing the word.  
**

**Now our feature presentation.**

* * *

**D is for Denial**

_Denial is the most predictable of all human responses ~ The Architect, The Matrix Reloaded_

Levy McGarden is a smart girl. Give her any language and she can translate it in a day. Give her puzzles and she can solve them in an hour. Give her riddles and she can figure it out in a minute.

But there is one problem that she can't solve. Like an itch that you can't scratch, the blue-haired woman felt frustrated. Why was she agonizing over this? She is intelligent. So why can't she resolve this?

It all came back to a certain Iron Dragon Slayer. Levy refused to believe it at first. This was the man who attacked her, who crucified her, who marked her body with another guild's brand. How the hell did it come about that she had a crush on Gajeel?

Levy groaned loudly. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. However where she decided to groan was a problem. Why is that? Well, it's because she groaned at the Fairy Tail bar. And at the bar is where Mirajane Strauss, Fairy Tail's barmaid and "Problem Solver", is currently working. (I say Problem Solver because busybody just seems too strong of a word for such a sweet woman.)

If anyone could say anything bad about the Takeover mage, it would be that she gets a bit "involved" in her fellow guildmates lives. Notice the quotation marks on the word involved. You see, Mirajane loved to play matchmaker. It was one of her favorite activities. She loves the people in the guild and wants to see them happy. There is no greater happiness than when two people fall in love and become a couple. Hooking up two people, in turn, makes her happy.

Now the level of involvement that she displays is based on a case by case matter. With Alzack and Bisca, it was simple. She would send them on the same missions together. The foundation for a relationship was already there. They just needed a little push. And it worked. The only regret that Mira had was that she didn't get to see the wedding due to the events of Tenrou Island.

Mirajane had offhandedly mentioned Lucy sometime after the Phantom Lord incident that she and Natsu would make a cute couple. The white-haired woman knew that with her overactive mind, the Stellar Spirit mage would imagine herself in a relationship with the Fire Dragon Slayer. And although they did not get together at the time, Mira had effectively planted the seed of a relationship between the two. Every now and then, the barmaid would ask Lucy how her relationship with Natsu was going, causing her to blush.

For Juvia, who was madly in love with Gray, the barmaid had told the water mage to make him jealous by going out with another guy. At first, Juvia was apprehensive. She didn't want to go out with anyone but the Ice Mage. However, Mira and Cana had convinced her that if she did, it would make Gray jealous of the attention that the guy was receiving from her and he'd react by sweeping her off her feet. It didn't work out like that. It turned out that not only was Gray _not jealous_, he was truly happy for Juvia when he learned that Juvia was "dating" this guy. Afterwards, the guy left her because he was looking for something more serious and she didn't oblige. He said some hurtful things to the water mage. _This_ got a response from Gray who was enraged that this man hurt one of his friends. To this day, Mira had no idea what happened to the guy, whatshisname.

And so it came to pass that when Mirajane Strauss saw Levy McGarden sighing and banging her head against the bar, she had to intervene.

"What's the matter, Levy?" Mira asked, absently cleaning a dirty mug.

Levy stopped banging her head against the bar. "Oh, Mira. I'm sorry. I'm just thinking." She answered.

"What are you thinking about? It helps to talk about it." She smiled.

Levy's response was another groan. "I'd rather not talk about it." Levy mumbled.

"Come on." The white-haired woman coaxed. "No problem is that bad that you can't talk about it."

Levy wasn't willing to share. "I think that this is a problem that only I can solve."

Mira sighed. "I understand." She said. "Let me get you something to drink, at least."

Mira made Levy one of her favorites, a chocolate milkshake with a dollop of whip cream. The bookworm accepted the drink gratefully and proceeded to drink it. As the last of the concoction was finished, Levy felt slightly better.

"Thanks, Mira." Levy told her.

"No problem." She smiled back. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'm right here and I don't judge."

Levy's eyes were downcast. She sighed. "I just don't know myself anymore." She admitted.

"What do you mean?" Mira asked.

Levy looked at Mira with her hazel eyes. "Mira, have you ever had a crush before?" She asked hesitantly.

Although Mira's face was stoic, inside she was smiling radiantly. Oh how she loved talking about love. It was her favorite subject. "I have, a couple of times." She admitted.

Levy averted her eyes, a faint blush on her cheeks. "Has a crush turned into ..." She trailed off.

"Turned into..." Mira repeated. Although she knew where Levy was going, Mira wanted the blue-haired mage to admit it out loud.

"Love, okay, love." She raised her voice unintentionally. When she realized what she did, Levy's blush became more pronounced.

"Ahh, love." Mira smiled softly. "Maybe once." Mira confided. "I had a crush on a guy and it turned serious."

"What did you do?" Levy asked.

"I went up to him and confessed." The barmaid said simply.

"What happened?" The blue haired woman inquired.

Mira giggled a bit. "Well, turned out he was already involved."

"What did you do?"

"Well, I was hurt a bit but I got over it the next day." Mira explained. "It felt good to confess."

"Does it feel good to confess?" Levy wondered, her voice sounding so glum.

"Absolutely." Mira smiled. "It's like a weight lifted off of your shoulders."

The Solid Script mage sighed. She didn't say anymore.

"So who's the lucky guy who has the attention of Levy McGarden?" Mira asked mirthfully.

Levy looked away. "It's someone who I shouldn't be in love with."

The white-haired woman furrowed her eyebrows. "Shouldn't be in love with him?" She repeated, not sure how to take this.

"Yeah." Levy slumped her head against the bar.

"Is it Jet or Droy?" Mira asked. "Is it because you don't want to make one jealous over the other?"

"It's not either of them." Levy answered. "I mean it's been seven years. I wasn't in love with them before we left for Tenrou Island and I'm not in love with them now."

"So it's someone who went with us on Tenrou Island." Mira deduced.

Levy gasped. She knew she should have kept her mouth shut. Mira, though she gave of the aura of a ditzy girl, was very intuitive and would eventually guess who it was.

"I don't want to talk about it anymore." Levy blurted. "I'd rather figure this out on my own."

Mira smiled. "Don't worry. What you say stays between you and me. You know that, Levy."

"It's not that I don't trust you to keep quiet about this." Levy acknowledged. "I just don't want you to try and set us up."

Mira didn't let up her smile. "Now when have I ever done that?" She asked.

"With Juvia before we left for Tenrou Island." Levy answered.

"Ohh, that." The barmaid said flippantly. "That was at her request."

"That's not how I remember it." Levy said.

Mira changed the subject. "Anyways, back to who you like."

"No, Mira." She whined. "Please don't say anymore."

Mira patted Levy on the shoulders. "Don't worry. You have nothing to be ashamed about."

Mira held out her hand. "Let's see. It can't be Gray." She checked of the name with her finger. "If it was then Juvia would be glaring at you right now. It's not Natsu. I don't see him as your type."

"Mira please." Levy begged. "This is too embarrassing. What if someone overhears?"

The barmaid ignored her pleas. "I don't think it's Elfman." She mused. "It's not Elfman, is it?"

Levy, this time, decided to be quiet. But Mira gave the small mage one look and saw the answer she was looking for. "I mean who else could it be? The Raijinshu? Laxus?"

The blue-haired mage squirmed in her barstool. Eventually she would say his name and then...

"I mean all who's left is Gildarts and Gajeel."

At the mention of Gajeel's name, Levy's ears turned red. The observant barmaid picked up on it immediately.

"Gajeel? For real?" Mira asked, shocked. Now this one she didn't see coming.

Levy knew she couldn't lie her way out of it. "You promised not to say anything." She reminded the white-haired woman.

"I mean I'm surprised it's Gajeel. Never struck you for falling for the badboy type." Mira giggled girlishly.

Levy's answer was putting her head on the bar, covering her head and groaning loudly. Her groan was muffled by her arms.

"What's wrong? There's nothing wrong with having a crush on Gajeel." Mira patted the small woman. Then the patting stopped. "Unless..."

"Mira, please don't finish that thought." Levy beseeched, hands clasped together. However, there was a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Well, that answers that question." Mira teased lightly. "It's good to know that you're in love."

"I shouldn't be."

Mira was confused. "Why shouldn't you be in love with Gajeel?" She asked.

Levy looked sad. "I'm okay with the idea of him being in our guild. I'm okay talking with him, even with the way he acts sometimes. I'm even okay with being friends with him." She could feel tears welling in her eyes.

Mira looked concerned. At first, she was just teasing Levy but now she realized that it was probably the worst thing she could have done. Levy was still struggling with her own emotions. She was being totally serious and Mira wasn't helping at all.

"I'm sorry. I'm making fun of you." Mira apologized. "If you don't mind me asking, why don't you feel like you should be in love with Gajeel?"

Levy felt the tears stinging her eyes. "Because I still remember that night..." She whispered.

Mira's eyes widened. She didn't need any more clarification. That night... the night when Gajeel attacked Levy and Team Shadow Gear and crucified them in the public square. It's been a long time since that day.

Her glance softened. "But you've forgiven him of that, right?" She asked. Now she felt horrible. What was once a lighthearted talk about love became something much darker and deeper. Mira felt awful for making Levy remember that night.

"I did." Levy answered. "I do. But sometimes, when I'm asleep, I can't help but dream about it. That sadistic smile, that piercing stare, the mark that he put on me." Levy's tears fell of their own accord. "I can still feel it sometimes."

"Levy." Mira whispered in a soothing manner. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean..."

"I know that he's done a lot of good ever since he joined Fairy Tail." The Solid Script mage admitted. "He helped stop Laxus, he saved us in Edolas, he saved me twice. He's a nice guy once you get past his abrasiveness. I'm glad that he's a part of Fairy Tail. But..."

The tears started flowing more freely. Levy couldn't take it any more. Covering her eyes, she ran out of the guild.

"Levy, wait." Mira shouted as she chased after her.

What neither of them knew was that someone was unintentionally eavesdropping onto their conversation. On one of the far tables from the bar where he sat with his companion, a long haired man overheard the conversation between Levy and Mira. A beer glass in his hand, his usually dour face became grim as hell. To anyone else, no one would have thought twice about the look on his face. But to his companion, his look revealed a lot more.

"What's the matter, Gajeel?" The companion, Pantherlily, asked.

"Nothing. It's nothing." The aloof Gajeel bit out. He wished that he didn't hear that. Sometimes, being a Dragon Slayer was a pain in the ass.

Lily observed the Iron Dragon Slayer again. His posture was slumped, his eyes were narrowed to slits, and his face looked like the world had fallen down on him. The Exceed knew that it was probably not a good idea to delve any deeper than that. "If you say so." Said his companion

Gajeel didn't answer back. He just returned to his drink.

* * *

Levy had made it to her room and ran to the bed. Her tears stopped along the way. She knew she shouldn't think that way about Gajeel. He changed.

Before she could think more on this, Levy heard a knock on her door.

"May I come in?" A voice asked the Solid Script mage.

"Okay, Mira." Levy agreed.

Mira made her way to the bed where Levy was currently sitting. Smoothing out her dress first, the barmaid sat down "First, I want to say that I'm really sorry." Mira started.

"It's okay, Mira." Levy told her, but the small mage's eyes did not meet hers.

"No, it's not okay." Mira rebuked. "I made you talk about something you were clearly agonizing about and made light of it. It was very wrong of me." The white-haired woman sighed. "I should have taken your problems more seriously. For that, I apologize."

"Apology accepted." A small smile crept on Levy's face. "I guess I just needed that release, you know."

Mira returned the smile. "I know what you mean." Then she put a comforting hand on Levy's shoulder. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Levy responded, a bit calmer after her outburst.

"Have you truly forgiven Gajeel for what he's done?" The barmaid asked.

Levy didn't even hesitate. "Yes. I have."

"Do you think he's changed?" Mira continued.

"Yes. He used to be so sullen and withdrawn. But now he's opening up."

"Do you see the good in him?" Mira pressed.

"Well, he's not like not like he was before. I think he really cares about the guild." Levy spoke wistfully. "And he's saved me twice now, once against Laxus and once against Grimoire Heart."

"Now I ask you this. If you've acknowledged the fact that you've forgiven, if you've accepted the fact that he's changed, if you see the good in him, then why do you think it is still a bad thing to be in love with Gajeel?" Mira asked.

For once, Levy had nothing to say. Every argument that she could think of died on her lips.

The blue-haired woman let out a sigh. "I just want to know why I fell for Gajeel instead of someone else."

Mira gave Levy a knowing look. "Sometimes, people fall in love at first sight, just like Juvia. For others, it's based on a deep friendship that grows each day, like Alzack and Bisca. And for some people, there is no reason why."

Mira closed her eyes and gave Levy a motherly smile. "Love isn't based on reason alone. It's emotional, something you feel. It hits you in the heart and makes you feel wonderful, jealous, happy, angry, and the whole span of human feelings. You shouldn't be ashamed of who you love."

Levy's eyes widened. She hadn't thought about it. She thought crushing on Gajeel and subsequently falling for him was the worst thing in the world for her. But Mira was starting to convince that maybe it wasn't bad for her to feel like this.

Mirajane took advantage of the silence. "You don't have to confess now, Levy." She told the silent mage. "In fact, I would advise against it because you aren't ready. However, at the very least, you can be Gajeel's friend. I think he needs that more."

Levy looked up at the older woman. "You really think so?"

"I know so." Mira smiled.

Levy smiled. It felt like the first time in ages that she did. "Thanks Mira."

"You're welcome. And know that whatever you decide to do concerning Gajeel, Fairy Tail always stand by your side." Mira reminded her gently.

"You're right." The blue-haired woman beamed.

Mirajane decided to leave Levy alone with her thoughts. She saw herself out of Levy's apartment and returned to Fairy Tail.

Levy got up from the bed and headed to her massive book collection and picked out something for light reading. As her fingers picked out a book, the Solid Script mage smiled. Perhaps she wasn't ready to tell Gajeel of her feelings. But she would be his friend. He needed that more. And perhaps one day, if they remain the same, Levy will tell Gajeel everything.

* * *

_Word Count: 2843_

**Point of order. This probably takes place immediately after Tenrou Island.**

**Okay. I know some of you are wondering WTF. I just want to say this. **

**I needed to give Levy a reason for angsting. Beyond, what happened in the Phantom Lord incident, we know next to nothing about her past that is painful to her. We know that Natsu and Gajeel were abandoned by their dragon parents. We know of Lucy's home life. We know the history between Gray and Ur. And we know about Juvia and the rain. But with Levy, we don't have anything on her past. (Hint, hint Mashima).**

**The second reason I did this is because even if she had accepted Gajeel as a guildmate, even if she can be alright with him being her partner for the S-class exam, I don't think she would just accept that she was in love with him. She might be the most forgiving person in the world but I don't think she would have been just okay with her growing feelings. Levy would try to deny them. It would be the same in real life. Put yourself in Levy's shoes. Do you think that you would be okay falling in love with a guy who hurt you? Probably not. At least not right away. A lot of authors of Gaj/Lev stories don't focus on this aspect. They just go... "Okay Levy's in love with Gajeel." I just think it would have taken her a lot more time for her to accept it. That's all. But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.**

**Well, like it? Hate it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave a review. I'd love to hear from you. Here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_Whenever Gajeel and Levy were sleeping together, he would always wrap his strong arms tightly around her waist. The reason was that he was always afraid that one day, she'd disappear._

**Can you guess the word? I'll give you a hint. It's an SAT word.**

**Lastly, after the next chapter of Gruvia, I'll be taking a week long break from the Fairy Tail Project. During that time, I'll be spending some time with the family. I won't be updating the project. Instead, I'll write a one-shot or two that isn't romance. If you want, look for it.**

**Till next time**

**A. Angel**


	5. E is for Ephemeral

**Hooray for chapter 5.  
**

**Where does the time go? No seriously, where does it go? I am offering a reward for anyone who can find the time. In the meanwhile, let's go over some reviews.  
**

**Catwho, I agree. Levy's face when Gajeel tells her that he'd make her big was quite complex. So many things can be read from such a look and I respect Mashima for drawing it.  
**

**niners, Mira does know your weaknesses. Be afraid, be very afraid. And you're right, Team Natsu gets all of the focus. But since they are the main protagonists, it is to be expected.  
**

**To those who say that Levy is an orphan, it is quite possible. And as for her past being explained in this arc, well Levy is the one that is narrating the events of the story. Every side note is coming from her. So it's like she's remembering something. Perhaps we will get something from Mashima. And Jun'hee, you are right. Fairy Tail is more an orphanage than a guild sometime. That's family for you.  
**

**Well, here's the next chapter. For those who are expecting a continuation of the last chapter (and rightfully picked out that Gajeel had listened to Levy and Mira's conversation), sorry. The letter E does not coincide with that event. However, do expect that chapter in the immediate future... perhaps in the next chapter or two. Instead enjoy this one.  
**

**It's strange. I find that it's easier to write angst with this couple than with Gruvia or Nalu. There are just so many angles to write. In any case, here's the letter E. Six points to Catwho, mistyfoxmaid, and Jun'hee for getting the word. Also Catwho gets a cookie as well. Ask and you shall receive. The key word in the last prompt was disappear.  
**

**Now, our feature presentation.**

* * *

**E is for Ephemeral**

_Life and love is fleeting so make every moment count._

Gajeel never felt so content with his lot in life and it was all thanks to the woman in his embrace.

They were currently lying in his bed. Levy was asleep in his arms. She was wearing one of his shirts that he ripped off about mid-waist and some sleeping shorts. He could feel her breath tickling his bare chest. Her face was completely serene. It made him smile.

Gajeel never thought he would be in love, much less with this beautiful, gorgeous woman. And he never thought that such a woman would be in love with him, especially after what he did to her. To an outside observer, one would see that Gajeel and Levy had absolutely nothing in common other than the fact that they were both Fairy Tail mages. He was a tall, physical, abrasive mage and she was a small, mental, soft-spoken one.

But they just clicked. Gajeel and Levy had a huge impact on each other. Their personalities intertwined so easily that to anyone who wasn't in Fairy Tail, it would have seemed impossible.

Levy became more assertive and a more physical mage. The missions that the Iron Dragon Slayer picked usually involved fighting a crime syndicate or a dark guild. So, in order to accompany him on these dangerous missions, she had to toughen up fast. The blue haired mage learned hand to hand combat and some swordsmanship from Gajeel and Lily. She also created some Solid Script spells to augment her newly gained abilities. For example, she was able to create a blade with her magic or infused her fists with magic. This isn't to say that she was Erza-strong, just to say that she could hold her own in a fight. In battles, Levy began to take more risks that had high payouts but greater risks of injury just like Gajeel. The first time that she did this, the blue haired mage ended up in the hospital. Later, she learned how to calculate the risk/reward factor to work in her favor.

Gajeel became more insightful and patient. Levy usually picked missions that dealt with undoing magic or escorting people from point A to point B. When it came to undoing magic, Gajeel learned the basics of rewriting runes. This was done after he got trapped in one while Levy had to fend off some mage. After the fight, he demanded the small mage teach him how to undo rune magic. Thanks to her, Gajeel learned how to rewrite basic runes. As for escorting people, the long haired man realized very quickly that hitting the customer (regardless of how annoying they could be) resulted in not getting paid. So he had to endure their bitching and complaining. Usually, escort missions ended without a hitch which meant that bad guys to hit as a release were few and far between. Luckily, Levy was there to help him... work out the tension as it were.

And it's not just their personalities that intertwined. It was their hobbies as well.

Levy realized how liberating it felt to fight for the sake of fighting like Gajeel did in the usual Fairy Tail rumbles. All of her tensions quickly wash away when she was trading blows with her guildmates. Don't get me wrong, she didn't dare fight people like Natsu, Gray or her boyfriend Gajeel because they didn't hold back in their fights. Rather, she fought people like Max or Laki, people she knew would hold back their full strength like she would.

Gajeel got into reading because of Levy. He learned how relaxing it was to curl up against the couch (with his girlfriend, of course) and allow the mind to unwind. He loved to listen to her as she read to him while the small mage was lying against him. She would read the words quite dramatically, imitate the voices of each character and end each chapter with a cliffhanger, leaving Gajeel mesmerized. This isn't to say that he read anything more complicated than a mission request by himself, just that he understood why she loved to read.

As for their relationship itself, at first it progressed rather slowly. Neither Gajeel nor Levy had been in one so they had no idea what to do. Gajeel was too proud to ask Gray, who had been with Juvia for almost seven months, or Natsu, who had just passed the two month mark with Lucy. Levy was rather shy about asking for advice. So, in the beginning, things were awkward between them.

It would probably surprise many people but it was Levy who had instigated the first hug. Gajeel was always afraid of putting his hands on her in any way for fear of hurting her. (That's not to say that he never did before this. Gajeel did carry her after he rescued her from a dark guild.) But the small mage told him that she wouldn't break and manipulated his arms so that they wrapped around her body. With time, the Iron Dragon Slayer learned how to hold Levy tightly and gently at the same time.

And it would surprise many people to know that Levy was the one who kissed Gajeel and not the other way around. There were times in their relationship where they had just come from the guild, Gajeel walking Levy to Fairy Hills, that she wanted him to kiss her. And there were times where he almost did. He would lean down and their breaths would mingle but it never happened. Levy got frustrated. If she didn't take action, she would never get kissed. So one day, after he walked her home, he leaned in as if to kiss her. Levy grabbed Gajeel by his long hair and kissed him. The Dragon Slayer was stunned for a moment but then he kissed back. It probably would have escalated from there if not for the interruption by Erza Scarlet. From then on, Gajeel took charge, initiating kisses whenever possible.

They became closer soon after. There would be days that she would come to his shack and cook for him. (She was no Mirajane or Elfman at the oven but pasta is quite easy to make.) After dinner, she would leave to her own apartment and he would escort her. One day, while cooking for him, it started to rain. Gajeel refused to let Levy leave his place during the storm so she slept over, taking his bed while he slept on the couch.

From then on, the Solid Script mage left a change of clothes at his place and a book, just in case. That change of clothes became clothes for a long weekend and three books. The long weekend change of clothes became clothes for a week and a duffle bag of books.

And when Gajeel's shack burned down when he tried to make food for Levy, he bought an actual house inside Magnolia. It was a three bedroom (a master bedroom, a guest bedroom and a room for Lily), two baths place that cost him almost three quarters of a million jewels. He paid for it in one lump sum and the house was his. Levy McGarden was his first guest. Since most of her stuff was at his place, Gajeel helped Levy move the rest of her stuff into his place. There was no fanfare, no big announcement. They just started living together. That was that.

The physical part of the relationship escalated as well. The kissing became heavy. Gajeel's kisses would always leave Levy breathless. Soon after, their shirts came off and they would kiss the skin beneath that. The pants soon followed and things intensified from there. They have seen each other naked and even showered together. He pleasured her and she returned the favor. However, they hadn't gone all the way. The reason was that Levy wanted to save herself for marriage. Gajeel respected that.

And yet, there were times during their sessions that he probably could have pushed her over the edge. And sometimes, Levy would want it as well. But Gajeel stopped it before it got that far. It has been two years since the two of them got together and still they haven't taken that final step. It wasn't as if Gajeel didn't want to make love to Levy. Oh god, he wanted that. He wanted to show her how deeply he loved her. But he was scared.

If there was one word that came to Gajeel's mind to describe their relationship, it was ephemeral. (He had learned that word from one of Levy's books.) It means lasting for a short time. That's what he always thought their relationship was.

Gajeel never thought that his relationship would last as long as it did. He always thought that he would unintentionally push Levy away and that would be the end of them. That would be karma. He broke her once. It would only be fair that she returned the favor. But Levy stayed. Despite what Gajeel had done to her, despite being the same abrasive, antisocial man that he was, Levy stayed with him and he couldn't figure out why.

Gajeel used to have a nightmare when the two of them started dating. The nightmare always brought him to that incident... their first meeting. In this horrible dream, he was an outside observer to him brutalizing Team Shadow Gear. Gajeel could see the glee on his dream-self's face when he attacked Levy, Jet and Droy. Then he would take the blue haired woman and kill her. As soon as the deed was done, Gajeel would see that his dream-self was proud of what he had done. And that's when the dream would end.

He would wake up in sweats and panting breaths. Gajeel would always go to Fairy Hills to check up on her and he would see that Levy was alright. Afterwards, he could go back to sleep.

Then one night, Gajeel had that dream while Levy was sleeping on his bed. When he woke up in the middle of the night and check up on her, the blue haired woman woke up. She asked him what got him so worried. At first, the long haired mage wouldn't tell her but after some gentle prodding, Gajeel explained about the dream. Levy placed his head on her lap and stroked his hair. She told him that she was very much alive and well. To further ingrain that idea into his head, Levy invited Gajeel to sleep in his bed with her. When he wrapped his arms around her, he fell asleep immediately. That dream never haunted him again.

The longer they dated, the more attached Gajeel became to Levy. The long haired man had once promised himself that he wouldn't get this attached again for fear of experiencing the same heartbreak that happened when Metalicana disappeared. But it happened. The Dragon Slayer became dependent on the Solid Script mage's presence. He was now completely and deeply in love with her, so much so that if she were to walk out of his life, he would die of heartbreak.

And as long as Gajeel could feel Levy in his sleep, he felt confident that she would stay. It was when he was apart from her, whether he was away on a mission or she was, that he would feel afraid that she would leave. A new nightmare started to take hold in his mind.

In this nightmare, Levy invited him to the Sola Tree, the same tree where he had done such horrible things to her. The dream Levy would tell the Dragon Slayer that she was leaving him. Just like that, without preamble, without explanation, just like that. They were done. And she would walk away with some guy, leaving him. The guy would whisper something in her ear and she would laugh, her beautiful laugh that made him feel giddy. He would just stare at their retreating forms and then he'd chase them. But the longer he chased, the further away they'd be. Then, he would wake up in a cold sweat.

This nightmare was far more terrifying than the previous one, mostly because he would probably let her leave. Gajeel would fight any man who even looked at her funny. He wouldn't let anyone make a move on his girlfriend. However, if Levy decided that she no longer wanted to be with him, he would respect that decision. Sure he may beg, plead, and bargain with her, discarding his pride as a Dragon Slayer and a Fairy Tail mage if he had to. But if she wanted out of their relationship, he would let her go. That's because Gajeel loved Levy so much that he would respect her wishes if she no longer wanted to be with him.

That's why Gajeel never consummated their relationship. Levy was saving herself for the one she wanted to marry and there was a chance that it wouldn't be him. The long haired man cherished everything that she offered to him, the happy times, the romantic moments, the comfort of having her in his arms. But secretly, he worried that she'd leave him. He was afraid that Levy's love for him was ephemeral. One day, she would stop loving him. And when that happened, it would be the end of Gajeel Redfox.

And so it was that Gajeel, this night, couldn't feel Levy's warmth against his body. He tried to reach out for her. Maybe she just moved on the other side of the bed... It has happened before. But when he couldn't feel her on the bed, the Iron Dragon Slayer woke up immediately.

Did something happen? Probably not. Levy would have woke him up. Gajeel sniffed the air. There were no suspicious scents, ruling out foul play. So... could it mean that it truly was the end of their relationship? Would she leave in the middle of the night without so much as an explanation?

Gajeel was about to go look for Levy when he heard the sound of the toilet flushing followed by the sound of water coming from the faucet. So she was in the bathroom. Oh thank goodness. He was so worried. Gajeel closed his eyes in relief.

Levy had come back from the bathroom. Gajeel could feel the depression she made in the bed. She crawled up so that her head was on his broad chest. The small mage could hear his rapid heartbeat. She drew lazy circles on his chest.

"Gajeel" She whispered to him. "I'm not going anywhere."

Gajeel didn't respond, feigning sleep. He wanted to hear what she had to say.

"Gajeel, I love you." She continued. "I love you so much and I know you love me back. You're the only one for me. That's why I'll never leave you."

Gajeel's breath hitched. He knew that she loved him. But every time she said it to him, Gajeel felt so happy.

"You are the one who promised to make me big and you kept it." Levy spoke softly. "You're the only one that I want to build my future with, Gajeel. So let me take away any more fears you have about our relationship."

She crawled up some more and kissed the top of his forehead. "I love you and I'm not going anywhere." Levy whispered in his ear.

With that, Levy cuddled up against him and went back to sleep.

Gajeel never felt so happy to have Levy in his life than in that moment. Despite what he had done to her, despite the fact that she could find someone more deserving of her love, Levy truly loved him and she wasn't leaving him. How was it that she always knew the right words to say to him? Once again, Levy McGarden had unburdened his heart and filled it with her love.

Gajeel wrapped his arms around Levy's petite body. He kissed her on her forehead and fell into the embrace of sleep with her.

Gajeel never had nightmares again.

* * *

_Word Count: 2684_

**Well, that's the end of that chapter. (Obligatory flick of scarf around neck)**

**This chapter came about when I thought about Gajeel and Levy's relationship. Metalicana's disappearance had a huge effect on Gajeel, probably more so than Natsu or Wendy. I think the reason is that perhaps that Natsu quickly made a connection with Makarov and Wendy had Edo-Jellal. But I don't think that Gajeel had anyone immediately after his dragon's disappearance. (See chapter one of this fic.) Of all the couples that I write about, I think he'd be the one most afraid of losing his beloved. That's the inspiration for this chapter.**

**Again, more angst. I'm gonna have to write a fluffy or a funny chapter to give them a break from all of this angst.**

**So, Liked it? Hated it? Have no strong opinions one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear what you think.**

**Here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_Gajeel didn't deserve Levy's love. He was the one who hurt her, who broke her so long ago. That's why he couldn't accept it. He needed absolution from his past sins and that was the one thing he didn't deserve._

**Any guesses for the F word here?**

**Well, till next time**

**A. Angel**


	6. F is for Forgiveness

**Wow. This is freakin' late. It's been a week since I've updated anything.  
**

**Sorry about that. My computer caught a nasty virus and it nearly wiped out my files. Fortunately, I was able to remove it but it did cost me many of my music and document files. Fortunately for me, I had the foresight to plan ahead. I keep my fanfics on a flash drive. I have also gotten an app on my itouch that lets me type word documents on it. I've been using it on the train to write the next chapter in the FT project.  
**

**Enough of that, the reviews.  
**

**niners, you are right. Everyone has nightmares about their loved ones leaving them. I think in Gajeel's case, it'd be much more severe because of his history.  
**

**chill27, yes angst makes a story more real. But if it's angsty all the time, then it becomes one huge sobfest. Sure Gajeel and Levy are probably more angsty than the other couples I ship. That's why there are more stories like that in this fic.  
**

**NaLu777, I do have plans for a triple date. Don't you worry. Look for it in later chapters.  
**

**Jun'Hee, you are right. Gajeel is more fragile than he lets on. When it comes to emotions, I think that Gajeel would be afraid to say anything. And yes, there is a bit of fatalism with him. I think that comes with his upbringing and subsequent abandonment.  
**

**In any case, thanks for the reviews. For serious.  
**

******A note for this chapter. This chapter is what I like to call "The Money Shot". When I had conceived of the project. There were six one-shots that first came to my mind. Three Gruvias, Two Gales and one Nalu. These were the ones I really wanted to do. For this chapter, I took more time than usual to write this. I wanted it to be perfect as it was one of my favorite ideas. I really hope you like it. This is also a continuation of D is for Denial. So the people who were asking for that will finally have it. It's a long one so hunker in.  
**

******Finally, two points to AngelKnight, animeluvv, darkchocol, akari, waterpanda, chill77, mistyfox, Lovelyanime, starryheaven, Iceninja and black thorn for guessing correctly. (Occam's Razor, people. All things being equal, the simplest solution is usually the correct one.)  
**

******Now, our feature presentation**

* * *

**F is for Forgiveness**

_Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, ~ The Lord's Prayer_

He was avoiding her.

That was the impression that Levy got from Gajeel. For the life of her, she couldn't understand why.

It was soon after the Grand Magic Games. Many crazy things happened during that week: Raven Tail attacking them, the thing with Sabertooth, and some crazy guy wanting Lucy for some plan. But Fairy Tail survived just like they always do.

And it that wasn't all. Gray had finally returned Juvia's feelings. Levy wouldn't have believed if she wasn't there when he had admitted in front of the entire stadium that he liked her. Juvia now sported a large smile on her face whenever they were together.

However, thinking about Gray and Juvia's relationship made her think about her own... or rather her lack of one.

The man that she had fallen for was still the same as ever. Yes! She can now admit it to herself that she was really liked the iron dragon slayer. It had taken a talk with Mirajane to finally settle the debate in her mind that she had deep feelings for Gajeel Redfox. And the more she thought about Gajeel and saw the change in him, the deeper her feelings got until the Solid Script mage could say that now her crush had become more.

Mirajane wasn't the only one who knew of Levy's crush. During the period where the Tenrou team was training for the Grand Magic Games, Lucy had correctly guessed that she had feelings for Gajeel. And Juvia, who saw love rivals in nearly every woman (and some guys) that even looked at Gray, probably figured it out when Levy helped Gajeel after his fight with the two Grimoire Heart mages which is why her jealousy was never directed at her.

Levy started to be proactive with her feelings. Not that she was expecting her feelings returned right away. The blue haired woman decided that to slowly integrate herself in his life. A talk here, a shared meal there. Levy was trying to make him feel comfortable with her presence.

Conversations with Gajeel was kinda like pulling teeth. Anything that she said to him was usually met with a grunt or a "That's stupid." He did not start up any of their talks either. They also didn't share a lot of common interests which was a big roadblock. Probably the only thing they had in common was that they were mages in the same guild.

The meals were better. Levy learned very quickly that the easiest way to get Gajeel's attention was to write him a Solid Script Iron spell to eat. And he'd devour it with gusto. She realized that the old adage was true, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

But Levy felt some resistance from Gajeel. She had invited him to go with Team Shadow Gear on a mission. He had decided though. At first, the Solid Script mage thought that it was because of Jet and Droy who always found an opportunity to vocalize their negative opinion of the Iron Dragon Slayer. Levy thought it was petty for them to do that considering that it has been seven years since that day. But when she tried to go alone with him on a mission, Gajeel had flatly refused her. Levy thought that since the long haired man was a loner to begin with, he wasn't likely to change that habit any time soon.

Levy wanted to believe that Gajeel was being the same somewhat antisocial man that he usually is. However, her observations of the Iron Dragon Slayer said otherwise. He still had his "friendly" fights with Natsu and Gray. He still took missions with Lily. He still sang his Best Friends song (if you could call the horrible sound of nails scratching against a chalkboard while a cat in heat yowls in the background singing). In fact, the only time that the long haired man ever looked strained was when the two of them were alone. He'd always look like he wanted to escape.

This did not make Levy happy. All she wanted was to be a part of his life in some way, shape or form. To have him resisting made the petite mage sad.

Levy tried to not to let it show. She really did. But some of the more perceptive people in the guild caught that she wasn't truly happy. Mirajane immediately picked up on her sadness. Lucy realized it when she wasn't truly happy with discussing the new books she had read. Even Jet and Droy noticed that Levy wasn't in a happy mood.

Levy hated feeling like this. She didn't like that every time Gajeel resisted her, the Solid Script mage felt a crushing weight on her chest.

And now, Gajeel was avoiding her whenever it was just them. Levy wondered what she could do to get Gajeel's attention again.

This is the state that Levy found herself in as she sat by the Fairy Tail bar. She noted humorlessly that the Solid Script mage was the same position she was in almost four months ago where Mirajane had got her to confess that she had a crush on Gajeel. Luckily (or unluckily depending on your point of view) Mira was out today on a mission with Elfman and Lisanna.

Today, Kinana is manning the bar which meant that she was alone in problems.

Levy decided to lose herself in a good book. That usually worked for her. She looked in her book bag and saw four books, each a different genre. Today, the book she decided to read was Armageddon's Children. The post-apocalyptic setting and mood of the book reflected how she felt inside: dark, hopeless, waiting for something. However, even this option was lost to her. Levy couldn't focus on the words in front of her. This was truly eating her up inside.

Perhaps it was coincidence, perhaps it was a cosmic joker. In any case, who should enter the guild but the source of her problems, Gajeel Redfox. He ambled confidently, with his constant companion Pantherlily flying beside him, to the mission board and looked it over.

Levy closed the book and walked over to where the Iron Dragon Slayer was. She took a deep breath.

Before she could say anything, Gajeel ripped off one of the missions and handed it over to Kinana, who gave him the approval to undertake this mission.

Levy looked downcast.

"Why are you still ignoring me?" She mumbled to herself, forgetting for a moment that Gajeel had enhanced hearing

Had she been paying attention, she would have seen Gajeel hesitate in his walk for just a moment. However, he recovered and went on his way.

As soon as the Iron Dragon Slayer closed the guild doors behind him, Gajeel tried to walk away. However, Lily grabbed him by the shirt.

"How long do you plan on avoiding Levy, Gajeel?" He asked.

Gajeel made an annoyed sound. "I don't know what you are talking about." He spat out quickly.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Lily countered. "Ever since we've gotten back from Tenrou Island, you've been avoiding being alone with her."

"That's not true." The Iron Dragon Slayer weakly answered.

"It is true. She's been trying to talk with you ever since we've returned." Lily continued. "Levy's invited you on missions, fed you iron, and tried very hard to be your friend. Who knows why."

Gajeel scoffed. "This is stupid." He walked away, but Lily saw the faraway look in his red eyes.

Lily didn't push the subject further.

* * *

Levy decided that she didn't want to hang out at the guild after that. So she took her book and headed back to her apartment.

Once inside, she dropped her bag and walked to her bed. Levy laid down and grabbed on of the pillows. Putting it against her face, she screamed as loud as she could.

For all of the pent up frustrations, for all the times he just avoided her, for all the times she cursed herself for falling for the one person who won't give her the time of day, Levy McGarden screamed. Hot tears started to run down her face. This was so maddening. She screamed for almost an hour until she heard a knock on the door.

Levy almost decided not to answer it. However, the Solid Script mage knew that that would be rude. She shouldn't lash out at someone who wasn't the cause of her current problems.

Fixing herself up, Levy walked to the door and opened it, revealing the form of her friend Lucy Heartfilia.

"Lu-chan?" Levy gasped. She was not expecting her friend today. In fact, it had been a long time since the two of them met in her apartment. Usually, they met in Lucy's.

"Hey Levy-chan." Lucy greeted with a smile. "I was at the guild today and saw you leave in a hurry. Is everything alright."

Levy found herself in a dilemma. She could lie and say everything was alright. But that wouldn't be the right thing to do, especially when Lucy took the time out of her day in order to check up on her. But if she told her the truth, then that would bring up the one subject the petite mage didn't want to bring up, especially now when Gajeel just ignored her like she wasn't even there. She had to make a choice.

"Sorry to worry you, Lu-chan." Levy faked a smile but she knew that she wouldn't fool her friend. "I've just been out of it lately."

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Lucy asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm not good company today." Levy's eyes drooped.

Lucy sighed. "Well, okay." She conceded. "Whenever you feel like talking, I'll be there to lend you an ear, okay Levy-chan?"

Levy gave Lucy a small but genuine smile. "Thanks Lu-chan."

With that, Lucy left her alone in her Fairy Hills apartment.

* * *

Have you ever been affected by a friend's mood? If a friend of yours is happy then, consequentially, you are happy. If that friend is sad, then, by extension, you are sad. That is how Lucy felt at the moment. Lucy was sad because Levy was sad.

Lucy was sitting at the bar drinking a smoothie, trying to cheer herself up, when Natsu bumped into her.

"Hey Lucy." He cheerily greeted, wrapping his arm around her. "You wanna go on a mission."

Normally, Lucy would have blushed at such contact, but today she was feeling down because of Levy.

"Not today, Natsu." Lucy breathed out.

The sound of Lucy's voice caused Natsu to regard her carefully. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine. I just don't feel like going on a mission today." The Stellar Spirit mage told him.

Natsu cocked his head. "Did something happen?"

"It's Levy. She's feeling down." Lucy explained. "And I think I caught it after I saw her. So I guess I'm not in the mood."

Natsu closed his eyes and nodded. "Okay. Feel better, Lucy."

With that, the Fire Dragon Slayer left his partner alone.

Lucy was trying to figure out why Levy was feeling sad. She looked around the guild. Natsu was trying to balance two tables on his feet while handstanding. Gray, ever the competitive man, was doing the same thing. The blond had to chuckle. Despite feeling sad, Lucy always felt better after watching seeing the antics of Fairy Tail. She didn't realize that someone had sidled up to her until she decided to speak.

"Juvia would like to remind Lucy that Gray-sama is Juvia's boyfriend." Juvia breathed in Lucy's ear.

"Juvia!" Lucy screeched and turned around.

Juvia was looking at her with righteous fury. "Juvia did not think that Lucy would stoop so low." She accused in a low voice.

"I am not trying to take your boyfriend away from you." Lucy tried to placate the water mage. "I am happy for you. I am just..."

"Lucy isn't after Gray, Juvia." A voice behind them chimed. "Besides, Natsu is more Lucy's type."

"Mira-san?" Lucy and Juvia jumped at the voice. The two women turned around to see Mirajane back behind the bar, a wide smile on her face.

Lucy blushed furiously, imagining Natsu as her boyfriend as was her custom whenever the subject was brought up. "Quiet, Mira-san." The blond shushed the barmaid. "What if Natsu heard you?"

She turned to Natsu who was now balancing four tables while standing on his hands. Gray was doing the same while shirtless, to the delight of Juvia.

Lucy sighed and returned to her smoothie with her eyes downcast. This caught the attention of Mira. "Trouble in paradise?" The barmaid smiled.

"Huh?" Lucy lifted her eyes at the white haired woman.

"You and Natsu." She continued.

"No." The blond whined weakly. "It's Levy-chan."

The barmaid's smile dropped. "What happened with Levy?" She asked

"I don't know." Lucy admitted. "She's just feeling down and I don't know why."

The barmaid put a thoughtful finger on her chin. "Hmm." She sounded. "I think it might have something to do with Gajeel."

"Gajeel?" Lucy said with her eyes wide.

"Gajeel-kun?" Juvia said with the same expression.

"Yeah." Mira sighed. "It was just after we returned from Tenrou Island." She explained. "She told me that she had a crush on someone. When I learned that it was Gajeel, I started to tease her but she started crying. Afterwards, I apologized and told her that she shouldn't feel guilty about it."

Lucy's eyes widened. "So she admitted it?" She asked. "I made a joke one time about her liking Gajeel but I didn't think it was serious."

"Juvia saw Levy-san carrying Gajeel-kun on Tenrou Island but she didn't think anything of it at the time." The water mage admitted.

Mira smiled. "Well, Levy has been accepting the fact that she is in love with Gajeel little but little. Perhaps she just needs a good talk."

"That might just work." Lucy smiled.

"Alright. Invite Levy over your apartment for a sleepover." Mira told her.

"Can Juvia come?" The water mage asked. "Juvia has never been to a sleepover."

Lucy was a bit hesitant when Juvia asked. Levy and Mira were fine. But Juvia...

"Okay." Lucy smiled.

And so the plan was set.

* * *

Levy had agreed to go to the sleepover. She wasn't feeling quite social but the Stellar Spirit mage had already gone through the trouble of inviting Mirajane and Juvia that she felt like she had no choice but to agree.

The girls were having a good time at Lucy's place. They were in their pajamas, eating ice cream and exchanging stories.

"And the idiot says 'Lucy, why are your clothes so flammable?" Lucy groaned. The other girls laughed.

"My 20,000 jewel coat. Gone" The Stellar Spirit mage bemoaned the fate of her beautiful coat.

"You know, Lucy, I would think that you would invest in inflammable clothes considering how much time you spend with Natsu." Mirajane smiled.

Lucy blushed. Although the barmaid's words were innocuous, the blond could hear the inference in her voice. Once again, she imagined what it would be like to have Natsu as a boyfriend.

Mira turned to Juvia. "So how are things with Gray?"

Juvia's face lit up as the conversation moved to her favorite subject. "Gray-sama is wonderful." A smile crept along her face. "Gray-sama ate Juvia's cooking. Juvia feels so wonderful."

Levy, even in her muted sorrow, couldn't help but wonder if Juvia was going to seep into the floor with the way she talked about Gray. And yet, they are broaching onto a topic she didn't want to discuss... guys, in particular one guy.

"Juvia hopes that she and Gray-sama can get to the next level." The water mage blushed.

"The next level?" Lucy gasped. Could they have advanced so far, she wondered.

"Holding hands?" Mira asked, a twinkle of merriment in her eye.

"Yes." Juvia squeaked, holding her hands in her head in embarrassment.

Lucy blanched. She wasn't expecting that.

"Juvia must keep Gray-sama pure before that time, especially from love rivals." The water mage growled at Lucy.

"I keep telling you." Lucy put her hands in front of her face in order to defend herself. "I'm not trying to take Gray from you."

"Yeah, she's more into Natsu than Gray." Mira smiled.

Lucy blushed furiously. "I'm not interested in Natsu that way." She tried to convince the others.

The white haired woman turned to Levy. "Speaking of guys, how are things going with Gajeel?"

Levy sighed. Here it is. This was the subject that she didn't want to talk about.

The three women noticed the change in atmosphere. So this was the subject that was bothering Levy.

"What happened?" Mira asked in a motherly tone.

"He's avoiding me." Levy sighed. "I don't know what I did to him."

Lucy put a comforting hand on her friend. "Oh Levy-chan." She whispered to her friend.

Mira and Juvia exchanged similar apologetic looks.

"I'm trying to be his friend but he's resisting me." The Solid Script mage admitted.

Juvia looked away, a sad look crept on her face. "When Juvia and Gajeel-kun were in Phantom Lord, he kept to himself most of the time." She told the girls. "Gajeel-kun isn't the type who makes friends easily."

"I can see that." Levy said. "But he doesn't have a problem fighting with Natsu and the others. He has no problem being on stage and singing. It's just me."

Lucy looked at the other girls and shrugged her shoulders. What can you say to that?

"Perhaps it is time that you tell Gajeel how you feel." Mira told the Solid Script mage.

"What? No." She nearly shrieked.

"Juvia agrees." The water mage nodded. "If you tell Gajeel-kun that you like him, maybe he'll respond the way you want."

"He's not even talking to me." Levy sighed. "How is confessing going to make things different?"

"It'll make him open his eyes." Mira noted. "I can see it now. You'll confess that you like him. He'll take you in his big, strong arms and carry you bridal style to your apartment."

Levy blushed deeply. However, she still wasn't sold on the idea. As she imagined Mira's scenario, Juvia grabbed her hand.

"Before Gray-sama and Juvia got together, Juvia always told Gray-sama how she felt." Juvia chimed.

"Yeah but at least he was talking to you." Levy countered. "Gajeel is avoiding me."

Lucy was torn. On one hand, she wanted her friend to be happy. On the other, she didn't think Levy was ready to confess.

Mira looked at Levy with soulful eyes. "Then how about this. We can gather some information on how Gajeel feels and then you can decide whether or not to confess your feelings."

Levy brightened at the prospect. "You would do that?"

"Of course. What are friends for?" Mira smiled.

With that done, the four girls returned to more interesting they didn't know was that someone was standing outside of Lucy's apartment, listening in on their conversation. This person was about to walk away when...

"Oi, Gajeel. What are you doing here?" Natsu called out to the Iron Dragon Slayer. "I thought you were on a mission.

Gajeel looked at the pink-haired mage with an unreadable expression. What was he going to tell this idiot? That he saw that Levy was sad because of him? That he took a mission he had no intention of doing just to avoid her? That he was following her to make sure that she was okay? Salamander is an idiot but that doesn't mean that he doesn't pick up on certain tells. Then it hit him. When confronted, deflect attention.

"I heard that you burned your woman's 50,000 jewel coat." Gajeel smirked.

Natsu blanched. "What? She's still mad about that? That was like three hours ago." He said, completely missing the insinuation that Gajeel made.

Gajeel smirked. "Yeah. She was saying that you were going to pay for that dearly."

Natsu shivered violently. Lucy could be very vindictive when it came to her stuff being destroyed. "Maybe I'll come back tomorrow when she's in a better mood." He mumbled and left in a hurry to his house.

Gajeel scoffed at the retreating form of Natsu Dragneel, thanking the powers that be for making him an idiot. However, now he had a big problem. Levy's friends are going to try and gauge his feelings for the bookworm.

Gajeel had known about Levy's feelings since they had returned from Tenrou Island. When it started, he didn't know but it had to have been before they went to that place and lost seven years. Since then, the Iron Dragon Slayer had been doing his best to make her see that he wasn't deserving of her affections. He wasn't even worthy enough to be around her.

The long haired man had overheard Levy and the barmaid's conversation, remembering that she dreamt of what happened that fateful night. So Gajeel started avoiding her. He was hoping that Levy would take the hint and stop pining for him. But it hasn't worked. She still wanted to connect with him.

Gajeel left sulking, at a lost at what to do about this situation.

* * *

Gajeel entered Fairy Tail with Lily, wary about what was going to happen today. He knew that the girls from that sleepover were going to try to get some information from him. Best to just go out on a mission to avoid this.

"Gajeel." A small voice tried to get his attention.

He turned around and saw Levy McGarden trying to get his attention. Lily, reading the situation clearly, flew over to the mission board to pick up a job.

Gajeel should have realized that she would picked up on him avoiding her. She was smart like that. But this was the only way. She'd figure it out sooner or later. It was for the best.

"Yeah." He answered her in his brusque way.

"I need to talk to you." Levy whispered.

"Not now, short stack. I'm going to pick up a job." Gajeel responded curtly.

If Levy were a bolder person, she would have called him out on his half-assed excuse. But all of the rejection and avoidance had taken its toll. She let him walk away.

Gajeel had to be strong. Do not show weakness. Levy was just begging to be hugged. However, he couldn't do it. It wasn't his place to do it. He didn't deserve to hold her in his arms... the same arms that had once hurt her. He had to walk away. It was for the best.

At the mission board, Pantherlily had picked up a mission. Beat up some bandits. Simple.

A familiar scent hit his nostrils. Dammit. He wasn't careful. The Iron Dragon Slayer turned around to see Juvia in front of him now.

"Good morning, Gajeel-kun." She smiled in a sickeningly saccharine way.

"What do you want?" He answered rudely.

Juvia had known Gajeel too long to be put off with his tone. "Juvia wishes to take a mission with you, Gajeel-kun." She continued smiling.

Gajeel smirked dangerously. "Are you sure? Your boyfriend might get jealous." He spat.

The blood drained from Juvia's face. She ran over to her beloved Gray-sama and apologized for even thinking about taking a mission with anyone but him. The ice mage had no idea what Juvia was saying though as he was in the middle of a "friendly" game of exploding billiards with Natsu.

Two obstacles down, two to go. That was the thought that ran through Gajeel's head.

The long haired man went over to the bar where Mirajane was currently working. He had to be careful. She was quite perceptive when it came to emotions.

"Good morning, Gajeel." Mira smiled demurely.

"Whatever." Gajeel scoffed. "Me and Lily are doing this mission." He said as he handed Mira the piece of paper.

"Oh, why don't you take some back-up?" Mira offered.

"You calling me weak?" Gajeel was starting to get riled up. On top of this woman trying to set him up with Levy, she had the nerve to doubt his strength.

"No. I just think that you could use some company." Mira tried to placate.

She cursed herself mentally. The barmaid had planned on making Gajeel take Levy on his mission but she used the wrong choice of words. Now he'd be more stubborn in going alone.

"I don't need company. I need to hit someone." Gajeel growled. He knew exactly what she was doing.

Mira decided it'd be easier to back off for now. "Okay, Gajeel. Good luck and be safe." She said to his retreating form.

Three down.

As Gajeel and Lily were heading out of the door, he noticed Lucy from the corner of his eye. She looked like she wanted to say something but she was unable to figure out how to say it. The long haired man used that to his advantage. Lucy looked away, allowing him to exit the guild without confrontation.

Mira sighed. This would be tough. "Gajeel needs to stay still in one place if Levy's going to have a chance to talk to him." The barmaid thought to herself. "Looks like I'm going to need help."

After the two left the guild, Lily faced Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer could feel the eyes of his Exceed friend on him.

"What?" Gajeel snapped.

"How long do you think you can keep this up?" Lily asked. "You are hurting her."

"Mind your damn business." He spat out.

Lily wisely ended the conversation. Gajeel could get really testy whenever this subject was mentioned.

Gajeel knew that Lily was right. He was making things more difficult for himself by avoiding Levy. But the Iron Dragon Slayer really had no idea how to handle this ... situation. What to do, what to say, everything. Avoidance was the best method to him. It was for the best. Levy deserved better than him. She'd get over her crush eventually. It'd be better for everyone in the long run.

* * *

It took Gajeel and Lily three days to complete the mission. While the two were away, Levy tried to keep her mind occupied by reading. But once again, she couldn't concentrate on the words. The Solid Script mage was wondering about Gajeel and why he was avoiding her.

"Don't worry." Mira sidled up to Levy. "We'll make sure that you have your talk with Gajeel." She said as she smiled.

"How?" Levy asked.

"I've talked with Freed and we've set up some runes so that Gajeel won't escape." Mira told her.

"That sounds drastic." Levy sighed.

"Drastic is the only way that we are going to get his attention." The barmaid answered, patting the petite mage on her shoulder.

Levy heaved a bigger sigh. This was turning into a bigger production than she wanted. But the Solid Script mage agreed. This was the only way to talk to Gajeel after all.

Gajeel returned to the guild with Lily, looking for a strong drink. Fairy Tail was the same as normal. Natsu and Gray were fighting, Juvia was looking at Gray with hearts in her eyes. Cana was chugging her third barrel of beer. Elfman was speaking on the virtues of manliness. Normal, well, normal as it relates to Fairy Tail. And yet, something seemed off. There was something different. Gajeel couldn't put his finger on it. Something inside of him told him that he was going to need the hugest buzz to get through the night.

He scanned the guild, looking for Levy so he could avoid her. Gajeel hated himself for this. He hated the fact that he was avoiding the petite mage. Gajeel feared no man but he was worried that he would hurt Levy's feelings. He had done it before and he wasn't psyched on doing it again. But that's exactly what he'll do if he told her the truth. So better to avoid saying it. It's for the best. Gajeel didn't deserve Levy anyways.

Gajeel stalked his way towards the bar and saw Mirajane cleaning one of the mugs, a smile on her face. Right now, that smile was pissing him off. It's a smile that had something sneaky planned.

"What will you have, Gajeel?" Mira asked, same smile plastered over her face.

"Strongest drink you got." Gajeel answered in a surly tone.

If Mira was put off by the tone, she didn't show it. She pour him a mug of the strongest alcoholic beverage in the bar. This was the stuff that Cana drank barrels of and it was certainly going to give the buzz he needed.

With a mug full of liquid comfort, Gajeel was about to head to his usual table when he heard some shuffling behind him.

"Gajeel." A voice called his name.

"Dammit." He mumbled under his breath. The one person he wanted to avoid was speaking to him. And he couldn't use the 'I didn't hear you' excuse, enhanced dragon senses and all. Time to face his fate like a man.

"What do you want?" Gajeel asked, his voice coming out more abrasive than he meant.

Levy winced at the tone but persevered. "Can we talk?" She asked shyly.

"Bookworm, I'm tired." He told her. "I just want to drink this and go home."

Hopefully, she'd get the message.

Gajeel turned to walk away but he hit something invisible.

"The hell." Gajeel snarled. He tentatively reached out his hand because he had an idea of what he hit. The long haired man touched something solid where there was nothing there.

"A rune barrier." He growled.

Gajeel turned around to see Mirajane and Freed together. Mira still had that damn smile on her face.

"Gajeel." Freed spoke in an elegant fashion. "I've set up this rune barrier just for you. The rules to get out are simple. You must listen to Levy and answer her. Then you will be freed.

Gajeel gave the rune master his best evil eye but the green haired man was undeterred. That bastard. He'll pay later.

The Dragon Slayer now turned his attention to the woman before him. She looked at him with expectant eyes. Dammit. Gajeel tried his best to avoid this conversation but now it was going to happen. And what's worse is that everyone in the guild stopped what it was that they were doing to see this.

"Fine. Speak." He grounded out tersely.

Levy took a deep breath and looked Gajeel straight in the eyes with an expression that he had never seen on her face.

"Gajeel, I wanted to tell you something." Levy began. "I've been feeling something for you the past couple of months. At first, I didn't know what it was. But after some consideration and a whole lot of soul searching, I've come up with an answer to what I am feeling."

Gajeel groaned inwardly. She was going to say it. She was going to say it in front of everyone.

"I think... no, that's wrong." Levy corrected herself. "I know that I really like you." She ended it with a smile, a bright smile that lit up her face.

There was a deafening silence for a while. No one said anything, not Levy, not Gajeel, no one. The Solid Script mage waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity.

"Well?" Levy asked.

"Well what?" Gajeel replied.

"What is your answer?" She said.

"What do you want answered?" He responded.

"I said that I really like you, Gajeel." Levy was getting desperate for an answer. "What do you have to say to that?"

Gajeel sighed and looked away. Now he had no choice. He had to say it now.

"I can't." He sighed remorsefully.

Levy couldn't believe what she just heard. So, for clarification purposes, she asked again. "What did you say?"

"I said I can't accept your feelings, Levy." Gajeel repeated.

As he said that, Levy's whole world shattered. She wasn't expecting Gajeel to say that.

"What?" Levy couldn't believe it.

"Go find someone else to like." Gajeel told her.

"Why?" Levy asked, completely blocking out the fact that everyone was still watching them.

"Because I don't deserve it." Gajeel bit out. "Because you still look at me as a monster."

Levy looked horrified. "No. No I don't." She tried to convince him.

Gajeel looked angry. "Don't lie to me, Levy." He raised his voice. "I know you still have nightmares about what I did to you."

Levy's eyes widened. "How do you..."

"I overheard you and the barmaid talking about your feelings when we came back from Tenrou Island." Gajeel pointed an accusatory finger at Levy. "I don't need your feelings and I definitely don't need your pity."

The petite mage gasped. She couldn't believe it. He had heard? He had heard what the two of them talked about? How was she going to explain that?

Mira, who was watching from a distance, turned to Freed. Her eyes were wide in shock. She could not believe Gajeel said that. This was not the way that she had envisioned this conversation. It was suppose to be love and smiles. But it wasn't like that at all.

"Freed." Mira spoke hurriedly. "Undo the rune barrier."

"It's going to take a while." He admitted. "I had set up this barrier specifically for Levy so that she didn't undo the runes and chicken out."

"I don't care." Mira nearly shrieked. "Just do it."

Freed ran to undo the rune barrier.

"But I've forgiven you." Levy nearly sobbed, unaware that Freed was working to untrap them. "I know you're a good guy."

"I'm not a good guy." Gajeel countered. "I'm the one who beat up you and your lapdogs. I'm the one who crucified you three to that tree. And I had fun when I did it. Now you have nightmares about that."

"But I've forgiven you." She repeated, tears starting to stream down her face.

"Just because you've forgiven me doesn't mean that everyone else has." Gajeel growled as he looked away. "Your lapdogs look at me like I'm the devil. Titania doesn't trust me enough to be an S class mage. The master said that he'd never forgive me as long as he lived."

"But that doesn't matter to me." Levy pleaded.

"It matters to me." Gajeel shouted. "It matters that they hate me. But I can live with that. It's what I deserve. However, there's one person who truly hates me, one person who has yet to forgive me for what I've done to you. Every day, I see that person and he reminds me of what I've done. Every time I'm with you, he tells me that I don't deserve you. And he's right."

"Gajeel. No one hates you." The blue haired woman cried. "I love you."

"It's just a crush." Gajeel spoke softly. "You're strong. You'll get over it."

When the Iron Dragon Slayer said that, Levy's face turned furious. "Just a crush? JUST A CRUSH? **JUST A CRUSH**?" Levy shouted. "Do you know how long it took to acknowledge these feelings for you? Do you know how much I agonized about how I feel? Do you know how long it took to finally accept that I like you?"

"The answer is still no." Gajeel responded simply. "You deserve so much better than me. You deserve someone who'll protect you, someone who won't hurt you, someone who will give you what you need. That someone isn't me. I've got your blood on my hands. I've got lots of blood on my hands and I'll never be clean of that. You deserve someone who doesn't have blood on his hands."

Levy looked down at the floor as every one of his words pierced her heart. Each word was like a punch in the gut. She couldn't take it any more. The Solid Script mage needed to know.

"Was it a lie?" She whispered and if it wasn't for his enhanced hearing, Gajeel would have missed it.

Still, he needed her to repeat it. "What?" Gajeel asked.

"Was it all a lie?" Levy repeated. "You promised to make me big. You promised you'd watch out for me. You told me not to leave your side. Was it all a lie? Was everything that I feel for you based on a lie?"

Gajeel sighed. Here it comes. Now he had to break her heart. "What do you think?" He told her with steeled eyes.

Levy's heart snapped in two.

She slapped Gajeel with all of her strength. A large red handprint was still on his face. Gajeel's expression didn't change. In fact, he didn't move from that position. He just stood there.

"Stupid Gajeel." Levy yelled at the top of her lungs. "I hate you."

She ran out of the guild (thankfully, the rune barrier was dispelled by that time) in tears.

"How could you do that, bastard?" A voice yelled out.

"Levy was only trying to like you, asshole. Who knows why?" Another voice chimed.

Gajeel didn't say anything. He just took all of the insults without responding back. He deserved that, after all.

Mira, who was still stunned at the turn of events, looked at the long haired man. "Gajeel..." She whispered. Her tone was a mix of anger, hurt, sorrow, and confusion all wrapped in one.

Gajeel, in response, lifted a nearby table with one of his arms and threw it behind him, to the shock of everyone. The table hit the back wall and disintegrated into splinters.

Mirajane Strauss was now eye to eye with Gajeel and saw the look on his face. She immediately knew the emotion it portrayed.

Guilt

Gajeel felt guilty.

Mira sighed and ran out of the guild, trying to catch up to Levy.

Gajeel, after this whole... whatever this was, hadn't felt this isolated in a long time. It was just like when Metalicana had left. And it sucked so much. But he deserved to be alone. This was his penance.

Without preamble, the Iron Dragon Slayer walked out of Fairy Tail, ignoring the remarks by his guildmates.

* * *

Levy sobbed uncontrollably in her room at Fairy Hills while Mira stroked her hair. This was the worst day of her life... well maybe not the worst day but it definitely ranked up there. Not only did Gajeel not return her feelings, she was humiliated in front of the guild with his blatant refusal to accept them. And it hurt. It hurt so bad. She needed release from her pain. So the petite mage cried.

Mira, who watched her cry, couldn't say anything to assuage her tears. What could she say that would make Levy feel better. In no small way, this was her fault. She was responsible for setting Levy up only to fall like this. The white haired woman pushed her to confess her feelings. And thanks to her trying to match make the two of them, Levy was heartbroken.

Levy wasn't ready, Mira realized all too late. She wasn't ready to confess. She wasn't ready for potential heartbreak.

Mira had thought that Gajeel felt something for Levy. And he probably did. But he still felt guilt for what he had done. And if Levy wasn't ready to deal with her feelings, then Gajeel DEFINITELY wasn't ready.

It was all at her door. All Mira wanted was for two of her nakama to be happy with each other. And now, Levy and Gajeel were miserable.

Mira did the only thing she could do. She stayed with Levy, holding her and letting her cry her tears.

What she didn't know was that there was someone standing outside of the girls dorm.

Gajeel listened as he could hear every sob that racked Levy's body. Each cry was like a stab in his heart. The Iron Dragon Slayer couldn't help but feel angry and sad about the turn of events. He was angry at himself for humiliating Levy in front of everyone and was sad because he was the cause of her tears once again.

It was for the best. Levy was strong. She'd get over him. She'd find someone more worthy of her love.

"You know you are walking away from probably the best thing that'll ever happen in your miserable life, right Gajeel?" He heard someone say.

Gajeel turned and saw Pantherlily flying behind him. In this whole debacle, he had forgotten about the black Exceed. He turned back around and started walking towards his shack.

Pantherlily didn't get an answer from Gajeel, but he wasn't expecting one anyway. Of course, Gajeel knew. He knew better than anyone.

The silence hung over Gajeel like a thick fog. And in that silence, he couldn't help but think.

Gajeel was undeserving of Levy's love. He had worked so hard at redemption, at absolving himself of his sins. He had saved her from Laxus's attack. He rescued the guild twice, one when Laxus tried to take over and the other in Edolas. The long haired man saved Levy again on Tenrou Island. But, to him, it still wasn't enough.

Time had passed but Gajeel still felt guilty over what he had done to Levy. He broke her badly and he'd never be clean of that. Levy was a beautiful girl, inside and out. She didn't need a constant reminder of what happened. That's why he said what he said.

Even if Levy had forgiven him, even if the entire guild had forgiven him, one person hadn't. That person looked at Gajeel and told him that he didn't deserve to be around Levy. That person reminded Gajeel, in great detail, of the wounds he inflicted on her and how much joy he took in her suffering. That person told Gajeel that someone like her, someone so bright and beautiful like her could never truly love someone as dark and ugly like him. And that person was right.

Because the one person who reminded him of his sins, the one person told him that he didn't deserve Levy, the one person who had yet to forgive Gajeel...

...

...

...

was himself.

* * *

_Word Count: 7044_

**Okay. That's that.**

**This is a strange fic. Usually when I come up with an idea to use for a fic, I have the beginning and middle part in my head and then I try to work out an ending. With this one, I had the ending in mind but had to work out a beginning and middle.**

**You guys might be angry at me for this but you should have known this was going to happen. I had mentioned it in a previous chapter. I don't think that Gajeel would just accept Levy's feelings at first. I think that guilt would always be in the forefront of his mind.**

**This was also a view into the dark or unfun side of matchmaking. When authors use the matchmaking angle, they make it so everything works out in the end. The matchmaker puts their couple together and all is well. I am torn about this angle. On one hand, it's the perfect way to get the couple I want together. On the other hand, you are playing with love, something that is beautiful, confusing and messy at the same time. If you screw up, there are horrible consequences. That's what I wanted to portray here. It's not a bash Mirajane piece (Honestly, how can you hate her?). It's just the reality that some relationships don't work out the way people want it.**

**Do not worry. There is going to be a part three to this.**

**Anyways, like it? Hate it? Have no opinion whatsoever? Leave me a review. For this one especially, I really would like to hear from you. Here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_Gajeel wasn't a Cassanova. He wasn't smooth or slick with romance. He was abrasive, blunt and brutally honest. But Levy learned that in his own rough, Gajeel truly cared for her._

**Any guesses on the G word? Do your best people.**

**Till next time,**

**A. Angel**


	7. G is for Gruff

**Wow. This is freakin' late. Sorry about that.  
**

**I wanted this chapter out almost a week ago but I've been far too distracted with my daughter who constantly needs her diaper changed. (I swear. It's like I feed her and she's already crapping it out.) I've also been tied up at work. And the new Kingdom Hearts game just came out so that took time from me as well.  
**

**To the reviews... away.  
**

**I am so glad with the feedback I've gotten. I thought that people were going to crucify me for not getting them together at that moment. But I do not think that it would be that easy. **

**To raesquared, whether Mashima does address this or not (probably not because Gajeel and Levy aren't the main characters) I think that it would be interesting to see how they get together if they do or not.  
**

**Niners, I've got some crackers with that cheese. But yeah. Only Gajeel can pull himself out of his funk. (And I will address that in a later chapter, two or three down the line.)  
**

**Chill27, I don't think that Lily would put a lot of effort into Gajeel's relationship. I think he'd be there just saying exactly what I had for his last line about Levy being the best thing that'll ever happen to him. (Also, I don't think that Gajeel is losing his piercings. I think that he's been eating them.)  
**

**61wisampa, Did you just use the "Y U No" meme on me? Well, I'll see that and raise you a condescending Wonka. (So you used a meme in your review? You must be very talented.) But do not worry, their happy ending is in the future.  
**

**And everyone else, thank you for the reviews. It gives me the strength to continue.  
**

**Now to the story. I said that this was late because of many things. But the main reason why this is late is because I really had no inspiration for this chapter. It's true. Normally, I have an idea and then wrap a story around that idea. For this one, I had nothing. Zero. Zilch. This is probably one of the worse chapters I've written because this is so uninspired. (I am also my own harshest critic.) But to get this out of the way, I'll get this over with.  
**

**Our feature presentation. (Also 25 points to Akari for being the only person to get this word.)**

* * *

**G is for Gruff**

_Unrefined love can cause misunderstandings. It's okay...your love will shine through. Medal of Honor accessory ~ Dissidia 012_

None of the girls could see it. But with Levy McGarden smiling with a force as strong as the light of the sun, no one had the heart to argue with her.

Still they had to know the answer to that question.

Allow me to place the setting. The women of Fairy Tail were lounging by the pool, late at night. The men were inside having a drinking contest. Well, that was the plan. But now, it turned into drunken bowling. Instead of a bowling ball and pins, they were using empty barrels and the tables in their place. The women wanted no part of it so they decided to hang out by the pool.

That is how Levy, Lucy, Juvia, Mira, Cana, Lisanna, and Laki found themselves outside the guild, talking. (Erza was inside the guild, schooling the men in bowling and Evergreen explained none too nicely that she was above such frivolous things.) At first, the chat started out with the competition and then turned to men in general. It was Cana who steered the conversation to boyfriends and lovers. Each of the women regaled the others with their stories.

When it came time for Levy, the women were curious as to what hers and Gajeel's relationship was like. And so, Cana, being the blunt woman that she is, said that which was on everyone's mind.

"You know that your boyfriend is as romantic as Ichiya's pathetic attempts to woo Erza, right?" She leered at Levy.

Far from being angry with the card mage, the petite mage smiled. "You just don't see it."

And it was true.

"Well, then tell us how romantic Gajeel is." Mira smiled. She was just as curious as the others.

"Well..." Levy began.

* * *

Example 1: Spending time with Gajeel

Levy was reading one of her large books in the guild. She really had no plans for the day. And yet, she was bored. The blue haired woman wanted some excitement today but all of the good single missions were taken today. And all of the people that she would normally take missions with were not here today.

Droy was at an all you can eat buffet and would be gone for the entire day. Jet was looking for single women ever since Levy was taken. Lucy was with Natsu and company on a mission to destroy a dark guild. And everyone else she would have liked to take a mission with was not interested in working today.

So Levy was stuck with her boredom. And she would have remained that way if not for the whirlwind that came through the door. It took the shape of Gajeel Redfox.

The long haired man came stalking through the guild and went straight to the mission board. He picked up a piece of paper and was about to go to Mirajane when he noticed Levy. She looked depressed. Gajeel decided to walk to her.

He picked her up by her shirt and turned her around to face him. Levy squeaked quite cutely in Gajeel's opinion.

"What the hell are you doing by yourself?" Gajeel questioned roughly.

Levy long stopped being insulted by Gajeel's rough tone, especially now that they've been together for almost two weeks. She couldn't say that they were boyfriend and girlfriend but they were more than friends now.

"I'm just bored." Levy sighed.

"Then go on a mission, short stack." Gajeel huffed. "Stop looking so depressed. It's not like you."

Levy had to blush at that comment.

"There are no good single missions and anyone I'd want to do a mission with aren't here." Levy told him.

Gajeel rolled his eyes. Then, he smirked. "Gi hi hi." He snickered. "I've got the solution to your problems."

The long haired man picked up Levy by the scruff of her neck. With her in hand, he went to the mission board and picked up a slip of paper.

Levy thrashed about, trying to get down. "Gajeel. Let me go. This is embarrassing." She squealed, not caring that her squeals were causing more attention to be on her.

And yet, even as Levy struggled against Gajeel's Iron Grip, the Iron Dragon Slayer walked over to the bar where Mirajane was manning. He slammed the mission paper down on the bar.

"Me and her are taking this mission." Gajeel told the barmaid.

Mirajane smiled at the twosome, purposely ignoring the struggles of the petite Solid Script mage. "Okay. Good luck." She smiled.

Gajeel and the struggling Levy left the guild with a mission to complete.

"Gajeel, let me go." She yelled.

Gajeel, in response, dropped the petite mage on her feet.

She looked at the tall broad form of the Iron Dragon Slayer quite defiantly, which Gajeel thought was cute. "Why did you do that?" Levy pointed an accusatory finger at the man.

"Do what?" Gajeel smirked as a challenge. "Grabbing you?"

"No. Making me participate on a mission I never agreed to." Levy glared.

Gajeel's smirk grew wider. "Well, you were complaining about having nothing to do and you wanted to go on a mission. So you're going with me. End of story." With that, he walked away to his shack. He gave her a half-hearted wave as he did.

"This is not the end of the story." Levy yelled back at his retreating form.

"We leave in two hours. Meet me at the outskirts by then or I'm leaving without you." He yelled back.

Levy huffed but ended up going to her apartment.

* * *

"So did you end up going on the mission?" Lucy asked after Levy was done.

Levy smiled. "Yeah. It was to destroy a cult who abducts people from a local village."

"But how is that romantic?" Bisca asked. She was confused as to how Levy could count that as such.

"Well, does Gajeel take anyone else with him to go on missions?" Levy asked the girls.

They searched their memories. Levy was right. Gajeel was a loner who tended to do everything himself. For him to invite anyone with him on missions besides Pantherlily was unheard of. But to think of that as romantic, well that was a stretch. Still...

"That's not pretty romantic." Laki huffed.

"Fine, fine." Levy placated. "Let me give you another example."

* * *

Example 2: Gifts

Levy looked like a kid at a candy store. It wasn't far off the truth. She was staring at the window of her favorite bookstore and that's when she saw it, a set of large tomes out on display. It was like the sun shone through after a terrible storm.

"It's a first edition of the Encyclopedia Languagia." Levy sighed in an almost reverence. "It has languages that haven't been spoken in over a hundred years."

Gajeel watched his girlfriend and sighed. "So?"

Levy looked indignant. "So? Do you understand the significance of all these dead languages?"

Gajeel rolled his eyes. "Not really."

Levy growled at her boyfriend. "Think of all the people who used to speak the languages in those books. Think of all of the ideas conveyed by those ancients." Levy stroked the window where the book was displayed. "If only I had that set."

She looked in the window to see the price. Her eyes nearly popped out of head. "7.5 million jewels?" She shrieked. "That's more than 6 years worth of rent.

"You don't have that kind of money, bookworm." The long haired man told her. "And you have like a bajillion books already. You don't need any more." Gajeel added gruffly.

Levy sighed. Her petite frame collapsed on her in despair.

Gajeel slightly whacked her on the head. "Come on, woman. Let's go to the guild."

"Yeah." Levy whispered. "I guess I'll never see what's inside that book. It's just way too expensive."

Then a wicked smirk crossed her face. "Gajeel, why don't you steal it for me?" She cooed. "I'd make it worth your while." Levy added in a sing-songy voice.

Gajeel scoffed. "Like I'd go through so much trouble for a freakin' book."

"A good boyfriend would." Levy shot back.

The Iron Dragon Slayer leaned in to look Levy in the eyes. "Are you seriously playing the guilt card on me, woman?" He glared at her.

Levy swiftly looked away due to the intensity of his glare.. "Well fine. I'll steal it myself."

Gajeel smirked dangerously. "Levy, Levy, aren't you turning into the little devil? Gi hi." He chuckled. "But would you be okay getting caught stealing?"

Levy gasped. She didn't really think about it.

"Let's see..." Gajeel sneered. "You'd have conspiracy to commit theft, breaking and entering, theft, and grand larceny. You'd be looking at 10 years easy." He rattled off the charges like he's done this before.

Levy started to whimper. But Gajeel continued.

"My woman, the great book thief." He snickered.

Levy sighed. "You're right. I shouldn't steal it. I should earn the money."

With that, the twosome left the bookstore window. Gajeel walked her to her apartment in Fairy Hills.

The next day, Levy woke up and saw an iron box next to her bed. She thought it was kind of odd, especially due to the fact that she never owned such a thing. The Solid Script mage examined the box and realized that it had a flip cover. She opened it up to find...

"No way." She gasped. "It's the entire set of the Encyclopedia Languagia."

As she held the set in her hand, only one thought came to her mind.

"It was Gajeel." She whispered to herself. "He got me the set."

Levy had to smile. Somehow, her boyfriend got her the books she desired.

* * *

"So did Gajeel really steal the books?" Mira asked. She probably wasn't the only person who was thinking the exact same thing.

"I thought about it at first." Levy answered. "But I asked the shopkeeper. According to him, a man with long hair drove, in his words, 'a very intense bargain'. So he sold it for about 2 million."

The other girls had to appreciate the fact that Gajeel would shell out 2 million jewels on anything, let alone something he had no interest in for Levy.

"Oooh give us more." Lisanna asked, still giggling at the idea of Gajeel buying the books for his girlfriend. "I want to hear more stories about you and Gajeel."

The other girls were in agreement.

"Well, there was this one time..." Levy began.

* * *

Example 3: Being a Gentleman

Levy left the guild and realized how late it was. It was ten in the evening and it had become very dark.

Her two best friends, Jet and Droy, had already left the guild for their own houses, leaving her to fend for herself.

Levy cursed herself. She just had to chat it up with Lucy. It was her fault for not paying attention to the time.

A part of her wanted to laugh at herself. She was a freakin' Fairy Tail mage for goodness sake. She could take care of herself. Levy had powerful magic at her command. But the Solid Script mage couldn't help it but being a bit unnerved by the darkness and what lurked in it.

The blue haired woman took one step into the dark of the night when...

"What the hell are you still doing out?" A voice called out to her.

Levy's shriek could be heard a mile wide. She turned around to see Gajeel grinning at her.

"What's the matter, woman?" Gajeel snickered. "Scared of the dark?"

"No." She shot out defensively.

Gajeel didn't look convinced. "Really? Then you'll probably be on your way then."

Levy blanched, the color drained out of her face. However, she didn't want to act scared in front of Gajeel. She wanted to be strong.

"Y-yeah." Levy stuttered a bit. "I'll start heading home."

She took a couple of deep breaths and headed on her way. But Gajeel noticed that she was hesitating in her steps. The Solid Script mage was still a bit afraid. And the long-haired man didn't blame her. After all, it was on a night like this that he attacked her.

With a sigh, Gajeel walked forward to meet her strides. Levy looked up to him questioningly. And strangely enough, the petite woman saw a faint blush staining his cheeks.

"Don't misunderstand." Gajeel huffed. "We are just going in the same direction. My house is by your apartment."

Levy smiled. "Okay then. Walk with me."

The couple headed to Levy's apartment in stride.

* * *

"Aww. That's so cute." Mira sighed.

"But that's not the best part." Levy chuckled.

"Oh." Cana woke up from her drunken stupor. "Did you guys do it?"

Levy blushed despite herself. "N-n-n-no." She stammered.

"Then what was it?" Lisanna asked.

The Solid Script mage recovered quickly. "Well, Lily told me that Gajeel lives on the other side of town." Levy smiled cutely.

"So that would mean that Gajeel-kun went out of his way to make sure that Levy-chan got home safely." Juvia noted, imagining Gray doing something like that even though he's done it several times before.

"That's right." Levy beamed.

And now, the women of Fairy Tail understood Levy. It wasn't that Gajeel isn't romantic. The Iron Dragon Slayer just showed his love differently. It's different than Elfman's way, where he had a love-hate relationship with Evergreen. It isn't a secret love like Jellal and Erza's relationship. It isn't Natsu's way, whose love for Lucy was like the way he lived, on full throttle. It isn't Gray's way, being a constant loving presence for Juvia. No, Gajeel's love isn't any of these things.

His is unrefined love. The Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't a Cassanova. He was abrasive, blunt and brutally honest... in a word, gruff. But he cared for Levy, making sure that all of her needs and wants are met, even as he said something different, in other words, a total tsundere. But still, Gajeel truly cared about Levy.

The women would have continued their fawning except that the guild's back doors opened roughly. A large dark figure emerged behind Levy.

Levy, feeling a presence behind her, turned around to see her boyfriend of almost six months staring at her.

"Hello, Gajeel." Levy smiled. "Had fun?"

"We are leaving." Gajeel bit out.

The petite mage frowned. "Why? I was having fun. Aren't you?"

"If I stay here any longer, I'm going to punch Salamander's ugly face into the ground." He growled.

"What did he do?" She asked.

"The bastard made me mess up and caused a 7-10 split, short stack." Gajeel shouted indignantly.

Levy couldn't believe it. Gajeel got all worked up over a game? But then again, he was just as competitive as all of the men in Fairy Tail.

"But I don't want to leave." Levy told him.

But Gajeel didn't want any of it. He picked up Levy by her clothes and chucked her on his broad shoulder.

"Gajeel." Levy whined cutely.

"Stop that." Gajeel told her gruffly. "I'll pick you up some ice cream if you do."

Levy answered by hugging Gajeel. This made the long haired man more embarrassed.

"Stop that. People are watching." He chided.

"Aww." Levy snickered. "My big, bad Iron Dragon Slayer's afwaid of a wittle PDA." She cooed.

Gajeel growled but everyone could see the dark blush on his face. "Woman, let's go." He told her in a commanding voice.

Levy couldn't help the smile on her face as Gajeel carried her out of Fairy Tail.

The girls who had witnessed the scene couldn't believe that Levy had gotten Gajeel to blush. Perhaps they'd never understand the depths of his love for her. But Levy was happy. How could they argue with that?

* * *

_Word Count: 2632_

**And I finally got that monkey off my back.  
**

**So I went the drabble route. Hope you enjoyed it. I didn't.  
**

**Loved it? Hated it? No opinions one way or the other? Leave me a review.  
**

**I promise that the next chapter will be better. In fact, here's the prompt for it.**

_They were stained in blood, Gajeel noted. Lots of blood. He had used them to shed so much blood. And yet, it was with these that he held Levy tight. It was with these that he will soon hold something very precious._

**This is an easy one. So what's the H word.  
**

**Now that that's finished. I will go back to video games and my daughter. Expect updates to be slower in the Fairy Tail project.  
**

**With much love,  
**

**A. Angel**


	8. H is for Hands

**Welcome back. Your dreams were your ticket out. Or whatever. It's been a while but I have some more story to tell.  
**

**Reviews first.  
**

**First off, I'm glad that you guys and gals liked the last chapter. I wasn't particularly proud of it but hearing your feedback made me happy.  
**

**Thinkette, Miss Mungoe, I'm glad that I kept Gajeel in character. To be honest, it's actually rather easy for me to do because I have a personality like him. So I think, what would I say in this situation. Luckily, I have a woman in my life who puts up with me for some reason.  
**

**niners, ilikehugs, chill, Miss Mungoe, lurv4, I find that Gajeel isn't one to be the center of attention when it comes to anything that isn't fighting. He's not going to telegraph how he feels. So it takes a certain kind of person to see his feelings. Fortunately, Levy is that girl.  
**

**Lord Mephystroph, first of all, don't be ashamed to ship characters just because you're a guy. I do it and I'm a guy. Second, I find that for many people who write fanfics, when they ship characters, they are doing a bit of wish fulfillment. This is true especially when it comes to the main male protagonist and the main female protagonist shippings. Many authors are like "I like this character and that character. They should be together. Now I am going to write a fic about them so they can be together, trolololo." But only the great writers actually take the time to flesh out the characters, give them depth and add more dimensions. These are the fics worth reading. That's what I try to aspire to. Sometimes, I hit that. Others, I don't. But I give it my all.  
**

**Finally, I find that it's easier to write from Gajeel's POV. He is a very dynamic character. What I mean by dynamic is that he goes through many rapid changes through the series. Consider how he was even a 100 chapters ago to what he is now. There is a big difference.  
**

**Anyways, to this story. This is a long one so hunker in. Also, this was one of the "Money Shots" that I created. This story was one of the first ideas to come to my head when I conceived of the Fairy Tail project. However, when I started thinking up ideas for another story in this series, that one became the Money Shot. In any case, I am pretty sure that you'll like it.  
**

**On a side note, have you seen the last chapter of FT where Levy and Gajeel were hanging out at the pool. I always thought that Gray and Juvia would be the first relationship to come out of this arc but now Gajeel and Levy just overtook them. (Also, can someone explain to me why the hell Max always has a broomstick in his ass while he's smiling?)  
**

**And, two points to Catwho, Thinkette, Moonhalo, Happy-nerd, hugs, Miss Mungoe, lurv4, Akari, Kauia, Ulcaasi, Sinnclaire, Lovelyanime, Jun-hee, Shiro-kitsune, Mephystroph, and Iceninja for guessing the word.  
**

**Now a word from Bane. "When you have finished this chapter, then you have my permission to cry."**

* * *

**H is for Hands**

_My hands can't hold on to anything. My fists only destroy. They struggle, they strain, these dirty blood-soaked hands... But even these imperfect hands once cradled a new life. Clean, warm, tiny hands. My pride and joy. ~ Li Hua, Chaos Rings II_

Gajeel was sitting outside of a hospital door. He was deep in thought, waiting. His body was wearing the hospital scrubs provided to him. On the other side of that door was his beautiful and loving wife of almost two years, Levy Redfox.

The Iron Dragon Slayer sighed. Sitting on the outside was not how he wanted to spend this moment but there was nothing he could do. It was his own fault anyways.

Why is Levy in the hospital? Well, good news everyone. Levy was about to give birth. It was quite a surprise for both of them. Not that they didn't expect this little bundle of joy. It's just that Levy was only seven-and-a-half months pregnant. The child wasn't expected to be born yet. But apparently, no one told the resident inside Levy. That special little gift wanted to be born now.

But if Levy was inside the hospital room, why was Gajeel outside? Well, the answer to that question is simple. He kept frightening the doctors and nurses who were trying to help. The first obstetrician was a male and Gajeel wasn't having any man, no matter what kind of doctor he was, looking at his wife... down there. And so, he "requested" (more like threatened) the hospital for a female doctor. But he harassed this doctor as well. Every time they did something to Levy, Gajeel yelled at them. Every time Levy felt birth pains, Gajeel felt like breaking limbs. So, for everyone's sake, he was escorted out of the room.

So this is where Gajeel found himself. And although he could have forced his way inside the room and although he had justification to do so, the Iron Dragon Slayer waited patiently outside while Levy gave birth.

His red eyes roamed around the room. Almost immediately, he noticed Natsu and Gray. Natsu was holding his two month old son, Igneous Jude Dragneel. Gray was holding his six month old daughter, Uriel Niji Fullbuster. The two babies were screaming their heads and, for some odd reason, the two men were competing to see who could get their child to be quiet and sleep first. Funny faces didn't work. Gentle rocking didn't work. Bottles and pacifiers didn't work. Nothing worked, to the chagrin of everyone.

Then there was Lucy and Juvia. Both of them were asleep in the hospital chairs. How they could sleep while their children were crying was beyond him. But then again, from what he understood, lack of sleep is part of being a parent. Seeing the heavy bags under their eyes only confirmed that.

Erza was directing traffic. She was telling each Fairy Tail member where they need to stand to welcome the birth of his child. The redhead was micromanaging everything, from where the lacrima camera had to be, how high the banner needed to be, how equidistant each guildmate had to be from one another... basically everything. The way that she was doing things, it felt to Gajeel like Erza was the one having the baby, not him and Levy.

Mira was giddier than everyone, matching the excitement of everyone combined. She was telling everyone how happy she was to welcome a new life born to Fairy Tail. Again, it was like she was having the kid. The way she was acting, it confused Gajeel to no end. If she loved kids so much, why doesn't she find a man and have one of her own? It's not like she was lacking for potential suitors, especially inside the guild. Pssh, whatever.

His friend, Pantherlily, was pacing about on the floor. If this were a cartoon, Lily's pacing would have created a rut into the floor. At times, he would look at Gajeel. Gajeel would look back. It was like he was asking why he wasn't joining him in his pacing. Like he would be caught dead pacing. The baby would come when it came.

Everywhere his eyes roamed, Gajeel saw excited faces waiting for the new arrival.

* * *

The Iron Dragon Slayer was done looking at these people. Instead, for some curious reason, Gajeel started looking at his hands. He could see the lines on his fingers that demarcated the bones there. He saw the slanted M shape that his palm made which allows his hand to bend to carry things or punch people... whatever. He could see the calluses that formed over a lifetime of being a mage. Normally, the long haired man would be wearing gloves but today he went without them.

Gajeel thought about everything that he had done with his hands. It was these hands that helped him learned the lost Iron Dragon Slayer magic. It was these hands that struggled and strained after Metallicana disappeared. It was these hands that vented his rage at the world through violence.

It was with these hands that he killed his first person. It was some punk on the street. Gajeel could easily justify killing him because the punk was a bad guy and no one would miss him. He couldn't remember his face anymore or his voice or any other distinguishing feature. All he remembered was the blood. He remembered how much blood he shed from that guy. He could feel how red, warm and sticky it felt as it ran through his fingers. But most of all, he remembered how it made him feel. Gajeel felt both sick and giddy at the same time. The experience of feeling a man's life trickle out of his body was one that was greater than any high in the world.

It was with these hands that Gajeel cut a bloody swath throughout Fiore. He had destroyed the first guild he was a part of, the sole reason being that he wanted to show those fools the error of trying to be friends with him. This got him the attention of Jose Porla and that's when he joined Phantom Lord.

It was with these hands that Gajeel hurt Levy when they had met for the first time. As long as he lived, he would never forget the horrible things he did to her, how he grabbed her, punched her and broke her. He would never forget the way he crucified her to the tree and painted Phantom's guild mark on her. But most of all, he would never forget how happy he felt when he did these things, especially how he felt like he was corrupting her by putting his dirty, blood-stained hands on her innocent body.

It was with these hands that Gajeel nearly killed Lucy. He wanted to fight Salamander with everything he had and when Gajeel beat him, it would prove his superiority over the Fire Dragon Slayer. But his blood-stained hands did not kill Lucy. They were overcome by Natsu's hands.

In his seclusion from society following his defeat, Gajeel thought about all of the pain and suffering that he inflicted with his hands. So much unnecessary violence, especially to people who didn't deserve it. He would have just stayed alone forever as punishment. But Master Makarov found him and put his hands to good use.

It was with these hands that Gajeel protected Levy from Laxus's errant lightning spell. The long-haired man didn't fight back when Jet and Droy attacked him. He allowed them to take their revenge. Wounds heal, pain goes away, but restoring pride requires taking back what was stolen. That's why he didn't fight back. If they wanted to use violence to take back who they were, so be it. And when the Master's son decided that he wanted in on the violence, Gajeel still didn't fight back even though it hurt like hell. It was only when an errant thunder spell flew from out of the blond's hand that the Iron Dragon Slayer took action and defended Levy with his blood-stained hand. At the time, he didn't know why he chose to take the hit for her instead of move her out of the way. But now, the long haired man was glad that he did because it helped change's Levy's opinion of him.

It was with these hands that Gajeel made a connection with Lily. When he was in Edolas, trying to save the guild from being encased in lacrima, the long haired man met Lily who engaged him in combat. Through sweat and blood, the two of them enjoyed the thrill of combat. They bonded over how lonely the both of them were. That's when it hit him. Gajeel would make Lily his cat. And the rest, as they say, is history.

It was with these hands that Gajeel saved Levy again. He had partnered up with Levy for the S-class exams. They had an argument over Gajeel not giving her the same attention as he did fighters like Natsu or Erza. In her anger, she ran away from him, not realizing the danger that was on the island until it was too late. Mages from Grimoire Heart had captured her and was about to kill her when Gajeel showed up and saved her, telling her not to leave his side. These same hands had destroyed those two, giving Levy a chance to escape and tell the others of the danger that was now attacking them. After his fight, as Gajeel fell exhausted, he was happy that his hands could be put to good use.

It was with these hands that Gajeel had murdered once again. Three months after he told her that he couldn't accept her feelings, the Solid Script mage was captured by a cult who was trying to summon a god into this world by sacrificing Levy. It was only through sheer luck that he had made it in time to save him from that man. Gajeel would never forget that man's name as long as he lived. Hosea, that snake-oil holy man, told him the blue-haired woman needed to be offered up to some god so that the world could be saved or something like that. Gajeel didn't know and honestly, he didn't care. All the long haired man saw was that someone was trying to hurt the one person who had completely forgiven him even when Gajeel couldn't forgive himself. With great sadistic pleasure, savagery, and rage, the Iron Dragon Slayer had brutally ripped each and every member of that cult to pieces. They paid dearly for trying to kill Levy. He wouldn't let them take her even if it meant losing his life. And when all was said and done, Gajeel was victorious.

But he knew that someone with such blood-stained hands should never be allowed to be near someone in the light like Levy. And yet, the Solid Script mage told him that as long as she was in his life somehow, that was all she needed. The petite woman explained to him that her feelings weren't going to change anytime soon. Levy told him that she would wait forever if it took that long until he forgave himself. That's how deep her feelings were. Gajeel made the decision to begin to forgive himself for what he did so many years ago, so that he could be a man worthy of her feelings. (It'd be another four months until that happened.)

It was with these hands that Gajeel comforted and embraced Levy. It was during that time when Juvia nearly lost her life. Depression hit the guild hard. During that week and a half when Juvia was in that coma, not a single joyful sound could be found in Fairy Tail. Though Gajeel was slightly worried about his former Phantom guildmate, he knew how tough the water mage was. However, Levy was inconsolable. The petite woman tried to busy herself with books on how to help her but it didn't work. They just reminded the Solid Scrip mage of why she was sad. And so Levy had turned to Gajeel. She cried against his chest, letting out her sadness and frustration to the Iron Dragon Slayer. Oh how he wanted to hug her. However, Gajeel was hesitant in comforting this woman. His arms were stuck until Levy took charge and made him wrap his arms around her. And when he did, oh how it felt so right. She felt so warm, so soft, so perfect. He could get used to this.

It was with these hands that Gajeel tended to Levy's every need. Anything she could ever want, Gajeel provided. Though it looked to many like he was doing this rather reluctantly, Gajeel actually took great pleasure in giving Levy anything. Be it a new book, a reservation at some restaurant or even just hanging out at either of their places, Gajeel showered his girlfriend with affection. During these times, a thought would cross his minds. If his past self saw what he was doing, he would have called him a pansy and weak. Of course, Gajeel would kick his past-self's ass for saying that. Levy had forgiven him and gave him love. In return, he gave Levy anything she wanted, including himself

It was with these hands that Gajeel finally found redemption when he took Levy's hand in marriage. Now that was one of the best days of his life, perhaps even his best day. After three years of dating, Gajeel knew that Levy was the one that he wanted to marry. Well, to be fair, there was never anyone else in the running but when was Gajeel ever fair. Oh how he agonized of this decision. Not that he didn't want to marry her. Oh god, did he want to marry her and he wanted it to be romantic. But he didn't know what to say or even if she wanted to marry him. So, in an open field, the Iron Dragon Slayer practiced what he would say to Levy to get her to marry him. But what he didn't know was that Levy had stumbled onto that field and watched as Gajeel floundered with his words. She thought that it was funny until he mentioned the word "marry". That caused her face to flare and let out an involuntary squeak. The long haired man turned around and saw Levy with a face so red, it would have put Erza's hair to shame. All of the eloquence that he had practiced left him when he saw her.

Marry me.

That was all Gajeel said to Levy. It was so Gajeel-esque. And then he produced a ring from his iron magic. On one knee, he waited for her answer. Never in his life had he felt so needy, so wanting of something from anybody.

Yes.

That was the response. It was like a weight lifted off Gajeel's shoulders. He had never felt so free, so unburdened. The long haired man laughed and picked up his girlfriend... no... his fiancée and twirled her around. When his hands put the ring on her delicate finger, Gajeel felt truly happy. She was going to be his wife.

The day of their wedding, Gajeel waited at the makeshift altar in Fairy Tail for his bride. He felt incredibly constrained in his tuxedo. The long haired man felt like pulling a Gray and stripping. But when Levy came out in procession, his breath was caught. Now Levy was always gorgeous and downright sexy to Gajeel, even when she herself couldn't see it sometimes. However, she had never looked so beautiful as she did when she came out in that wedding dress. God, it felt freakin' girly to say that there were butterflies in his stomach but that was the feeling that he got when his brain processed the sight. A smile, a true smile, crept across his face when his hands, his blood-stained hands, enjoined with hers. When they were presented as Mr. and Mrs. Redfox, Gajeel felt complete.

It was with these hands that Gajeel finally made love to Levy. After the wedding reception, they had hurried home. It was the first time they would enter their shared home as husband and wife. Oh yeah, he so carried her over the threshold, bridal style. (Hey, she was his bride.) Gajeel took his time taking Levy out of her wedding dress, treating her like a delicate being, even though she was anything but. His hands were everywhere, touching, caressing, embracing. It was quite the contradiction of what his normal style would be, brusque, loud, and abrasive. Only Levy could make him do this. Only Levy could make him _want_ to do this.

And the lovemaking, well, that was special too. Levy told Gajeel that she wanted to wait until she was married to be that intimate. Gajeel respected that. (Which is not to say that they didn't pleasure each other, just that they didn't go all the way.) There were many times in their relationship where he could have pushed Levy to do it. And there were many times that she wanted to forget that promise and have Gajeel do it with her. But it didn't happen. Now that they were married, they could finally indulge. And did they ever. Even though it felt clichéd in his head, he thought it was magical.

Gajeel looked at his hands again. Yes, these hands, these blood-stained hands are responsible for many things, good and bad.

* * *

The Iron Dragon Slayer finally took his eyes off of his hands. He looked at Natsu and Gray. They had finally gotten their children to stop crying. But it was the look on their faces that caught Gajeel's attention. They looked... they looked... The only word that came to mind was... content. Is that what parenthood looks like?

But that's when another thought came to mind.

Pretty soon, Gajeel will hold his child in his hands, the same hands that had shed so much blood. He had many questions on his mind but it all boiled down to two. One: could he cut it as a father? But more importantly, did he have the right to hold that child?

The thought of having a child filled Gajeel with much trepidation. He had never been responsible for anyone in his life. The long haired man had been alone for most of his life. Even when he had joined Fairy Tail, Gajeel had moments when he felt so isolated. But that was fine by him. He knew how to take care of himself.

Now, the Iron Dragon Slayer had to take care of a kid. He had no idea how to do that. And it wasn't like Gajeel could get any practice. Gray and Juvia's kid Uriel, little Rainbow as she was affectionately called in the guild, usually cried whenever he was within eyesight. (He swore that he could hear thunderclaps in the distance whenever she did.) And Natsu and Lucy's kid, Iggy? Well, that little diaper-crapper threw up in his face as he was about to pick him up. Everyone, including his wife, laughed at the sight. Oh, he was pissed. Sure he can accept that it's a reflex than a statement but that didn't mean he had to be happy about it.

But all of that, he could attribute to the nervousness of being a parent. What concerned him more the thought of having his dirty, ugly, blood-shedding hands on someone so innocent and pure. Could he do that? Levy was one story. Gajeel had worked so hard to earn the right to hold on to her and even now, there are times when he felt like he didn't deserve her. But their child was another story.

"Gajeel." A voice called out to him.

Gajeel was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice the person who just sat down next to him.

"Master." Gajeel's voice was low and respectful.

Master Makarov, even though he was advanced in years, still was as spry as the time he had invited Gajeel into Fairy Tail.

"I know what you're thinking, Gajeel." Makarov told him. "Trust me, every father thinks about whether or not they can cut it raising a kid."

Gajeel looked away. "Yeah, that's part of it." Reflexively, he looked at his hands.

The Master saw that. He sighed.

"So you are thinking about the blood on your hands?" The Master asked.

Gajeel's eyes widened. How did he know?

"Gajeel, listen to me." Makarov told him solemnly. "Nearly every mage in the world has blood on their hands."

"Some more than others." Gajeel said somewhat ruefully.

Makarov looked Gajeel in the eyes. "If you get stuck on the past, you will never enjoy the future." He told him in a grandfatherly tone.

"But Master..." The long haired man pleaded.

"Gajeel, we've all done things in our past that we aren't proud of." The Master told him. "We can't avoid making mistakes. The trick is to learn from them and be a better person because of it."

Gajeel sighed. "But what if my kid finds out what I did?" He asked. "What if my kid hates me because of what I did to Levy?"

Makarov took a moment to think. Of course, that's what Gajeel would be worried about. "Gajeel, you didn't really think that you could hide that from your child, did you?"

Gajeel looked away, telling the wizened old man that that was exactly what the Iron Dragon Slayer wanted to do.

"Gajeel." The master continued. "I've already told everyone in the guild that they are not to mention your past to either the new recruits or the children of guild members. But you are going to have to one day explain to your kid who you were before Fairy Tail."

"Master." Gajeel sighed. "What if..." He tapered off there. He was totally unsure of what to say.

The Master put a friendly hand on Gajeel's hand. "Can I let you in on a secret?"

Gajeel nodded.

Makarov cleared his throat. "When I asked you to join the guild, I honestly didn't think you'd last very long. At the point I found you, you were remorseful but still angry at the world. I thought that after you gave me the information on Raven Tail, you would consider our debt square and go on your way."

Gajeel snorted quietly. "Actually, that was the plan. But I didn't expect to get my ass kicked by your grandson. So I was stuck until I healed. I stayed to recover. But I got stuck in a rut and decided to stay."

Makarov snorted. "Don't sell yourself short, Gajeel. You've flourished in Fairy Tail." He explained. "When I look at you now, a devoted member of Fairy Tail, husband and soon to be father, and think about the person you used to be, I'm glad that I took you in. You are truly a testament as to how the right environment allows the good in people to thrive."

Gajeel was in awe. "Master..." He whispered, unable to say anything else.

"I am proud of all of my children: Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, Mira, Juvia, Levy and everyone else." The old master said with a smile. "However, they joined Fairy Tail with a clean slate. They didn't have to work very hard to be trusted or to make friends. You joined the guild with a bad reputation. No one trusted you. No one believed that you really wanted to be here. But you worked hard. You changed their opinions. They started to trust you, to believe that your change was genuine. They started to see you as nakama."

Gajeel put his head down but the Master caught a faint smile on his lips.

"And then, Levy fell in love with you." Makarov continued. "Though at one time you didn't accept her feelings, you eventually proved to her that you were a changed man and worthy of her feelings. And well... you know the rest of the story. So believe me when I tell you that if you explain to your child how you transformed from who you were before to who you are now, the child will accept you."

Gajeel took a deep, cleansing breath. "Thank you, Master Makarov." He told the old man with a shaky voice.

The Iron Dragon Slayer took another breath and looked up at the ceiling. "Do you think I'll be a good dad?" He asked.

Makarov throatily chuckled. "I know that you talked to me, Macao, Bisca and Alzack about parenting. I also know that you've read the parenting books with Levy. But believe me when I tell you that when you take your child home for the first time and it cries, all of that advice, all that knowledge will fly right out of the window."

Gajeel groaned. "Really?"

Makarov chuckled again. "Promise. You see, every child is different. What might work for one child will probably not work on another. It's a trial and error process, just more on the side of error. However, eventually you will learn the right way to hold your child so that it goes to sleep. You will learn the right way to feed your child. You will learn the right way to teach your child to do right. But most importantly, you will learn the right way to show your love. You shouldn't worry though. You have Levy's love and support, as well as everyone in Fairy Tail. You will do fine."

A smirk crept across Gajeel's face. But then, a frown replaced it. "But what if my child turns out like I did before Fairy Tail?"

Makarov was quiet for a while. Gajeel was about to repeat the question when he answered. "Gajeel, as much as you'd want to, you can't pick your child's destiny. There will come a time where your child must stand on his or her own two feet and make decisions that will affect their lives. Sometimes, they'll make mistakes. Sometimes, they'll make bad choices. Sometimes, they'll go down the wrong path. But you can't make the choices for them. You can only show them the right way. They are the ones who have to walk it."

Gajeel closed his eyes in contemplation. But the old man continued.

"You can give a child all of your love, show them the right way, and give them many chances to change, but if they refuse, then you have to let them go." The master sighed. "I learned that lesson the hard way."

Gajeel knew that the master was referring to his relationship to his son, Ivan, and partly about his grandson, Laxus. He didn't have to say anything.

"But I have a feeling, Gajeel, that you and Levy will do just fine." The master smiled. "And it's because you've walked down the dark road that you can tell your child how empty and purposeless it is. I believe that you will raise a fine child who will be strong and full of love and light."

Gajeel smiled again, a truly rare smile that lit up his face. "Thank you, Master Makarov, for everything." He told him gratefully. "If you hadn't given me a chance to join Fairy Tail, I wouldn't be the man I am today."

"I already told you, brat." The master chuckled. "I just showed you the path. You were the one who walked it."

The door to Levy's room opened. Immediately, everyone stopped what they were doing. A somewhat portly nursed stepped outside. She turned to Gajeel.

"Mr. Redfox?" She asked.

Gajeel stood up. It was strange. Even though he knew what she was going to say, his legs felt like jelly.

"Yeah." He said.

"Congratulations, you are a father now." The nurse smiled.

Fairy Tail erupted in a cheer but that was quickly silenced by the portly nurse.

Gajeel felt like jumping for joy. Sure it would have looked stupid, but hell, he was a father now. He deserved some freakin' leeway.

"Can I go in now?" He asked.

"Of course." The nurse told him. "But first..."

She handed him a pair of paper gloves. Gajeel frowned a bit.

"Newborns are more prone to infection than normal people, premature babies even more so." The nurse explained. "This is just a precaution, okay?"

Gajeel nodded and donned the gloves.

"Okay, it will be you first, Mr. Redfox." The nurse told him. "Then afterwards, the others can see from the NICU observation room."

Gajeel nodded again. He looked at everyone from Fairy Tail. They were all smiling at him, Lily, the Master, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Juvia, Erza, Mira, hell, even Jet and Droy looked happy for him.

"Gajeel." The master called out to him.

Gajeel stopped in his tracks to listen to him.

"When you hold your child for the first time, all of your worries, all of your fears, all of your doubts will disappear." Makarov told Gajeel.

The Iron Dragon Slayer nodded. He took a deep breath and followed the nurse into Levy's room.

* * *

Gajeel immediately saw Levy. She looked completely exhausted. Her wild blue hair, which he loved, was matted to her forehead. She was dressed in the hospital gown and she had this glow about her that made her look beautiful. (Levy was always beautiful to Gajeel but this glow that she had ever since they knew she was pregnant only intensified her beauty.) His eyes roamed down to the two swaddling bundles in her hands down to the...

Wait!

Rewind!

Gajeel's eyes went back to the two swaddling bundles in Levy's arms. He rubbed his eyes. Then her rubbed them again. Yep, there were still two.

The doctor put a hand on his shoulder. Gajeel barely registered it. "Twins?" He asked.

"We were surprised as well." The female doctor told him.

Gajeel looked confused. "But how?" He asked.

The doctor smiled and looked at Levy's chart. "It says here that you two never went for a ultrasound. You and Mrs. Redfox said that you wanted to be surprised with the sex of your baby." Gajeel felt a shiver run up his spine when she referred to Levy as Mrs. Redfox. Damn, even after a year of marriage, it still felt just as good.

The doctor continued, unaware of what Gajeel was thinking. "Ultrasound probably would have picked up on that. But then again, Levy's magic or the twins' magic could have blocked the ultrasound. Up until now, the pregnancy went so smooth that there was no real reason for an ultrasound. I guess life is still full of surprises."

"Gajeel." Levy softly called out to him, in that melodic voice that he loved so much. "Come here. There are two special people who want to say hello to their father."

Gajeel slowly walked over to Levy... and saw pink skin from inside the two swaddling bundles.

"Levy." Gajeel whispered. "We have twins?" He asked. Yes, as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized it was a stupid question.

Levy chuckled. "Of course, Gajeel. A boy and a girl."

"A boy and a girl." Gajeel repeated in awe.

The Iron Dragon Slayer took a good look at the bundles in her arms. They were wrapped in white blankets. Their heads were topped with cloth caps, one was blue and the other was pink. He assumed that it was done to differentiate the children. He could see some slivers of pink skin which made up their tiny arms.

The pierced man, for a reason unknown to him, took a whiff of the air. He could pick up Levy's scent immediately, vanilla and musty books. That was the scent that could calm him and drive him wild at the same time. He could smell the scent of the doctors which was muted by the antiseptics and sanitizers they used to prevent infection. And then, there were two scents. He couldn't really describe it. It wasn't bad, just different.

The doctor sidled up to Gajeel. "Would you like to hold them?" She smiled at the long haired man.

Gajeel nearly jumped through the ceiling when heard the question. Hold them? As in touch them willingly? Should he do it? Could he do it, especially with all of the blood on his hands?

Levy, like always, sensed her husbands worries. "Gajeel, you will do fine." She whispered. "They will be safe in their daddy's strong arms."

Gajeel's eyes widened. That she had so much trust in him never ceased to amaze him. And did she just call him daddy? Well, that's going to take some getting used to...

The nurse directed him to an adjacent chair. "Sit down. It'll be easier to support them this way."

The Iron Dragon Slayer nodded dumbly, still a little overwhelmed by the daddy comment. He obeyed. She was the doctor after all.

Gajeel took a seat next to Levy. He watched as she took both newborns from Levy, preparing to hand them over to him.

"Now Mr. Redfox, make sure you support the head when you hold them." The doctor explained.

Gajeel nodded and he was handed the boy and the girl to hold in his arms. The doctor showed him the correct way to hold the newborns. Then she stepped back.

"That's perfect, Mr. Redfox." The doctor smiled. "Now I have to place a call to NICU to get two incubators here."

With that, she left Gajeel and Levy with their newborn twins.

Gajeel looked at the children he was holding. Now he could see their faces perfectly. Their eyes were closed. Their mouths were slack. Their skin was a very light pink. And they felt so light.

Gajeel looked at their hands. He placed a finger on their tiny hands. Even through the gloves, he could feel no calluses. These were clean hands.

Gajeel couldn't believe it. The children were just a bit bigger than his wrists. They were so small, so fragile. Is this how newborns feel like?

These babies... these babies who had no idea who he was before Levy, before Fairy Tail... He was holding them in his hands, the same hands that had shed so much blood. And yet, they didn't care. They were just as peaceful as they were before they were in his hands. The master was right. When the babies were in his hands, all of his fears and doubts disappeared.

The boy in his hands opened his mouth and yawned. Gajeel smiled. He never thought that a yawn could be cute but this little boy proved him wrong. The girl opened her eyes just enough that Gajeel could see a bit of hazel in them. Gajeel's grin grew wider.

And that's when it finally sunk. These were his children.

There was a silence that hung in the room, a very comfortable one though.

"Levy." Gajeel whispered to his wife.

"Yeah?" She whispered back.

"What are their names?" He asked,

Levy chuckled weakly. "Yeah, we didn't get that far into deciding what to call them, did we?"

"No." Gajeel responded.

Levy closed her eyes. "Well, when you hold them, what comes to mind?"

Gajeel looked down at his twins. He regarded them quite meticulously. The long haired man racked his brain to think of something. But no name came to mind. All he could think of was how much he wanted to protect them, to make sure that they didn't turn out like the guy he was before.

"I want to protect them, Levy." Gajeel whispered. "I want to show them the guild that changed me, the people who learned to believe in me. I want to tell them of the person I was before so that they don't turn out like I did... like I could have. I want to make them strong so that they can stand on their own two feet and make the right choices instead of the wrong ones. And I'll protect them till the day I die."

Levy smiled. "Protect, huh?" She murmured tiredly.

Gajeel frowned a bit. "Is that not good enough?" He asked.

"It's perfect, Gajeel." Levy answered.

Gajeel's smile came back. "What did you think of when you held them?"

Levy thought for a second. "I saw how beautiful they were." The blue-haired woman told him. "They were created from our love, Gajeel. When I saw them for the first time, I thought about how beautiful their souls were, so clean and innocent. I hope to see how much more beautiful they become as we raise them with all of our love. That we created such beautiful children together is a feeling I'll never forget for as long as I live."

Gajeel chuckled. "Me too." He answered.

Levy's eyes shot open. "I know what we should name them."

Gajeel waited expectantly.

"A name is the first gift we can give to our children." She explained. "It is something that carves our hopes and wishes for them."

Levy took a breath while Gajeel looked down at his newborn children.

"The boy, his name will be Mamoru." Levy whispered. "It means 'to protect'. That is your wish for them."

Gajeel smiled. "Mamoru?" He said with his eyes closed. When he did, the Iron Dragon Slayer could see a lean young man, power emanating from his body. "That's a very strong name."

"I thought you'd like it." Levy giggled.

"And the girl?" He asked.

"The girl, her name will be Reimi." Levy told him. "It means beautiful soul. That is my wish for them.

Gajeel again closed his eyes. He saw a young woman just a bit taller than Levy. She was smiling at him. "Reimi... I like it."

He looked at his twins. "Didja hear that?" He asked the babies. "Your names are Mamoru and Reimi."

And even though they didn't answer him, Gajeel felt like they liked the names.

The doors opened. It was the doctor who delivered the children and four nurses. Two of the were wheeling in plastic boxes with holes in them. Inside the box was a bed.

Gajeel got a little defensive, reflexively putting his children to his chest. Later on, he would think about this incident and realize that his parental instinct kicked in at that moment. "What are those?" He asked.

"These are the incubators." The doctor explained. "We are going to put the children inside and put them into NICU. From there, we will monitor them for any changes. They are premature so we are just making sure that they are healthy enough before they go home with you."

Gajeel was about to argue but Levy beat him to the punch. "Gajeel. It's okay. Let the doctors do their job." She whispered.

The tension that the Iron Dragon Slayer built was defused as soon as the words left Levy's mouth. Gajeel relaxed and allowed the doctor and nurse to take his children from his arms.

He watched as they gently placed them into the incubator. They then put a wristband on their arms.

"What's the wristband for?" He asked.

"That's so we can tell whose child they belong to." The nurse told him. "They have the parents' last name."

Gajeel nodded.

The doctor and nurse put the same kind of wristband on Gajeel and Levy.

"Now these wristbands identifies you as the children's parents." The doctor explained. "When you wish to see them during their stay, just show the nurse on duty the band and you can see them and hold them."

"Okay. Thank you." Levy whispered.

The doctor smiled. "You're welcome. By the way, have you picked out a name for them?" She asked.

"Mamoru and Reimi." Gajeel told the doctors.

"Mamoru and Reimi? Those are very good names." She answered back. The doctor turned to Levy. "Now as for you, Mrs. Redfox, we are going to put you in a recovery room and start you on an IV drip. You need to recover your fluids. Afterwards, we can release you and then you are free to roam about the hospital."

"Okay." Levy sighed. "I'm just so tired."

"It's part of the effects of childbirth." The doctor told her. "You're a strong woman. You'll recover quickly."

The nurse was preparing to wheel out the children.

"Wait." Gajeel called out to them.

Gajeel got up from his seat to look at his children before they left for NICU. He looked at the nurse. "Is it okay if I touch them on the forehead?" He asked.

"Just as long as you have the gloves on." The nurse responded.

Gajeel reached inside and gently placed his forefinger and middle finger on both Mamoru and Reimi's forehead. He could feel the warmth that they emitted from the tips of his fingers. He pulled his fingers back.

"Thank you." Gajeel nodded.

With that, his children left.

He looked at his wife, his wonderful wife who had just given birth to their children. The nurses were adjusting her bed so that she could be transported. Gajeel walked up to Levy. He leaned down and kissed her on the lips.

"Thank you, Levy." He whispered in her ear. "Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome, Gajeel." She whispered back.

The nurses nodded at Gajeel, which was the sign that Levy was ready to be moved into recovery.

"I'll catch up to you later, short stack." Gajeel smirked at Levy's bed.

"Stupid Gajeel, you better." Levy shot back. Even after the birth of their children, they still kept up their playful banter.

The bed was moved out of the room, leaving Gajeel all alone. He looked at the chair where he held his babies' in his hands for a moment. Then he walked out as well.

* * *

There he was congratulated by every member of Fairy Tail.

Mira was the first one to approach him. "So you're a father now." She smiled. "By the way, I just saw two incubators roll out. Which one is yours and Levy's, the boy or the girl?"

"Both. Levy gave birth to twins." Gajeel explained.

Mira squealed in joy. "Two Fairy Tail babies at the same time. That brings us up to four new members."

Gajeel, who normally would be irritated by the barmaid's squealing, couldn't help but feel like she did. (However, it'd be a cold day in hell before he did any squealing.)

Pantherlily was the second to approach him. "So you have twins." He stated. "But you only bought enough stuff for one child."

Gajeel frowned a bit. That was true. They weren't expecting twins. He was about to say something when...

"Don't worry about it." Lily told him. "I'll head to the baby store and take care of everything. Congratulations, Gajeel."

Gajeel nodded as the black Exceed flew out of the hospital, grateful for his friend for taking care of the situation.

Master Makarov hopped on Gajeel's broad shoulder. "So what are the children's names?"

"Mamoru and Reimi, master." Gajeel responded.

"Those are very good names." The master grinned.

"And master," Gajeel said. "You were right... about how I would feel when I held them."

The master nodded and hopped off his shoulder.

Each guild member offered their own congratulations to the new father, who took each one with more cordiality than even Gajeel expected he had. Though he was never one for being the center of attention, the long-haired man had to admit that it felt good

The last people to congratulate him were Natsu and Gray, who each slapped one of his shoulders. And Gajeel was about to fight them when he saw the look on their faces. It was the same look that they gave to their children, contentment and pride. And in that moment, Gajeel felt it too.

Gajeel looked at his hands. These hands, these dirty, blood-soaked, imperfect hands, they held his children. They held new life. He could still feel their weight on them.

Gajeel smiled again, a true smile that lit up his face. He is a father now and he is going to be the best damn father that he could be.

* * *

_Word Count: 7254_

**Chapter done.**

**Couple of notes. If you've read my Gruvia A to Z, you saw the twin thing coming in the F chapter. For those who haven't, allow me to explain some things.**

**Uriel means light of God in Hebrew. That was the first name that came to me when I thought names for their child. And Niji is Japanese for Rainbow. Igneous is a type of rock that forms under intense heat. And Jude was Lucy's father's name.**

**NICU stands for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I don't know what they call it in other countries but this would be the place where newborns who are either born premature or have some infection from birth would be placed and observed by doctors and nurses. It is a very sterile environment. So much so that you have to strip to a shirt and drawstring pants that they give you, scrubs, mask, paper shoe things and paper glove thingies. It was cumbersome, but necessary.**

**This was based off of my experiences when my daughter was born. I stayed out of the room up until the time when my girlfriend was giving birth. I agonized over how could I raise her. Could I do it? Did I have the right? So many things. Every parent goes through this. Makarov's advice was based off of my mother's words to me about raising children. I am so grateful for that.**

**And yes, it is possible that doctors can miss twins up until the birth. Even with all of the technology that we have, it's still humans who operate it.**

**So why the focus on Gajeel's hands. Well, I love the use of literary devices. I was reading a book of poems for some inspiration on writing techniques and this came to mind. If you repeat words, you allow the reader to focus on the object and signify its importance. This was necessary when it came to writing about Gajeel's hands. I hope you liked it.**

**Anyways, loved it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I really would like to hear from you.**

**Here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_Over the years, I've learned the kind of person that Gajeel is. He's rough, stubborn, and isolated. His words cut deep like a double-edged sword. And yet, his love is strong, durable, malleable and it is able to withstand the test of time._

**Any guesses? This should be easy.**

**One last word. Don't expect quick updates. My drive still hasn't returned home yet. She is still in England, working.**

**May the sun shine on you always,**

**A. Angel**


	9. I is for Iron

**Look. Up in the sky. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No. It's the next chapter.  
**

******Well, I have to thank you for t**he reviews. It really makes me happy to hear feedback from all of you.  


**Ulcassi, I am glad that you were able to find a youtube song that coincided your reading of the last chapter. Even though I had nothing to do with it.  
**

**demonlover, you did review this story once. It was in the second chapter. Your review was how we were all in agreement that Gajeel is an ass-man. And I'm glad you agree about Gajeel's thoughts during the birth of his children. Looking back, I am glad that I chose hands as the prompt for the last chapter. It really brought everything together.  
**

**thorn, yes my daughter was born prematurely. It's both a scary and happy feeling. I felt happy knowing that my daughter was born but terrified because I didn't know what was going to happen. Fortunately me and my girlfriend, our daughter (who incidentally was named after an anime character) turned out fine and after about three weeks, we were able to take her home. So yes, this was somewhat based on my experience. You see, women say they have the hard time giving birth. Well ladies, it ain't a walk in the park for us fellas either. We have to watch you be in pain with the knowledge that we can't do anything for you. And that sucked for me. No it isn't the same, I know.  
**

**chill, Gajeel's reaction to holding his kids was the same as mine. I was so nervous. I actually passed on it. But the nurse understood and showed me the right way to hold her. And when the doctors came in with the incubator, I was about to fight them. But reason won out in the end, thankfully.  
**

**niners, I haven't decided whether or not I am going to have Gajeel explain to his kids who he was before Fairy Tail. I know I have another chapter with them but I haven't decided what the subject is going to be.  
**

**And to everyone who I didn't mention, thank you for the reviews.  
**

**Now this chapter. Well this chapter is going to be rated M. I'm upping the rating. There's going to be sex involved. Like the other two lemons in the project, I'm dividing this into three chapters. The second chapter is going to be the actual lemon (I actually did my best to make it not as smutty but brain didn't cooperate.  
**

**Also, the points. Three points to moonhalo, Ulcassi, iceninja, demonlover, akari, thorn, chill, sarah, catwho, and blackiris.  
**

**And now, our feature presentation.**

* * *

**I is for Iron**

_There is no wall that exist that can't be torn down. Even a heart of iron can be breached. But only love can do that._

Today is the best day of my life, one that I'll remember forever. I am finally married, married to the love of my life.

He's sitting on my right and I have to say that he looks darn pretty sharp. Normally, he would be wearing form-fitting black clothing but today, he's wearing a nice black tuxedo. He was wearing a tie but my man ripped it off the second we were married. I have to smile. Gajeel will still be Gajeel and I love him for that.

But me... Well, a few hours ago, I said goodbye to Levy McGarden. Today, I begin my life as Levy Redfox.

We are at the reception in Fairy Tail's backyard. The party is in full swing. The food is great, making Droy happy. The drinks are plentiful, making Cana happy. Everyone is happy and having a good time.

I see Gray and Juvia dancing together. They look very, very happy. You see, two weeks ago, Gray finally proposed to Juvia. From what I heard, it was very romantic. He took her out in the rain, told her how much his life changed since he met her. Then he asked her to marry him. Of course, Juvia said yes.

Natsu and Lu-chan are dancing together too, if you can call swinging Lucy around by her wrists while she is flailing in the air dancing. They've been together for four years or so. They are happy as well. I just wonder when Natsu's going to propose. Oh well, different strokes for different folks.

Erza and Jellal are in the furthest corner. It isn't every day that Jellal can come over undisguised. However, there are few people outside of the guild at mine and Gajeel's wedding so Jellal was able to come. That, in turn made Erza very happy. And if our wedding can make other people happy, that makes me happy.

But now, my attention is turned to the man of the hour. Gajeel is looking at me and he is smiling. Seeing him smile is an uncommon occurrence. Gajeel smirk. Gajeel has a feral grin. He has exaggerated smiles. But rarely does he truly smile. In fact, I think I am the only one who has ever seen him truly smile and that makes his smiles more precious to me.

"You wanna dance?" Gajeel asks.

"As husband and wife? Sure." I tell him.

He takes me by the hand and picks me up off my seat. The dress flutters with this action.

We take center stage. He takes my hands in his and we dance.

As the music plays, I can feel myself swaying to its beat. It feels like everyone's eyes are on us. I look up and gaze into his red eyes. He's looking down at me with a smile on his face. His smile is infectious and now I'm smiling too. I am so happy

Today has been such a good day.

* * *

The reception is over. Now we are heading back to our house. It's strange. I feel a sense of giddiness. Maybe because it's going to be our first time returning home as husband and wife.

Wife. I'm his wife.

I'm Gajeel's wife now and he's my husband. I've never been happier.

We reach the door. I go to open the door but he grabs my hand. Gajeel then opens the door for me.

I look at him in confusion. He smirks at me. Gajeel grabs me all of a sudden and takes me in his arms. It's funny. He's carrying me bridal style through the threshold. What a corny move. And yet I love him for it. I hear the door slam as we walk into our house. He must have closed it with his feet.

As soon as we get through the door, he leans in and kisses me. I can barely register the fact that we are heading to our room due to his wonderful technique.

Kissing Gajeel, to me, is like trying to fight him. He is just so forceful, aggressive and dominating. He lets me know that he's taking control. And I'm okay with going along for the ride. He's that good.

I didn't realize that we were already in the bedroom until he gently laid me on our bed.

"Levy." His whisper echoes throughout our empty house. In his eyes, there's a hunger, a hunger I know all too well. He wants me. That's good. Because I want him too. We've been waiting a long time for this.

"Where's Lily?" As soon as I ask the question, I cringe. Here we are, about to consummate our marriage and all I ask about is his Exceed companion.

"Gi hi." He snickers. "Already trading me in for my cat?" I have to laugh at that.

He caresses my cheek with his calloused hands. "He's spending the night with some of his friends from Edolas. He's not coming here tonight."

That's good. I am glad that Gajeel and I are alone. It is just us.

Gajeel crawls onto the bed. His expression reminds me of a tiger stalking its prey. It sends a shiver down my spine.

He must have saw something he liked on my face because before I even realize it, his lips were already on mine. As he was kissing me, his hands were behind my back, undoing my dress. He found the zipper and unzipped it in an instant.

I know what he wants me to do. So he releases my lips and shimmy out of my wedding dress. Now I am left in a white bra and matching panties. Gajeel then throws the dress across the room.

"Gajeel." I shriek in laughter. "That cost 75,000 jewels."

"So?" He tells me. "I'll never understand you women. Why did you spend so much money on something you are only going to wear once?"

I smile at him. "Only once?" I make sure to say that in a teasing tone.

"Yeah. I'm not letting anyone else marry you." He says confidently. "You're mine now, Levy McGarden... or should I say Levy Redfox."

"That's right." I tell him. "I'm all yours."

He lunges at me with his soul-searing kisses. His tongue licks at my lips and I allow it entrance. He's gotten much better at kissing since our first kiss. My first kisses with him was sloppy and uncoordinated. But he has gotten better at it and now he can take my breath away with a single kiss.

Now he starts raining kisses on my jaw, my neck and my shoulder blades. As he kisses my skin, ne nips at it as well. You see, Gajeel is a biter. Yep, this is what I have learned in the times where He bites, nibbles and nips (gently, of course). Afterwards, he would always use his tongue to assuage the nips. I never would have thought that I could be so turned on by something like that. Another nip... It makes me shudder.

"Gajeel." I whisper. I reach out to him and realize that he's still wearing his tux. "You are too dressed."

He stops kissing me and rips off his tux. He throws off the tattered remains away. The only thing he's wearing is his boxers (the one with the rubber ducks on them. I got him that as a gag gift one time. Who would have thought he would have kept it?)

"Gajeel." I shriek. "That was your only good suit."

He lunges in to kiss me. "You wanna stop because of that?" He mumbles into my neck.

I want to say something but a couple of quick nips to my shoulder completely blanks my mind. God, he's good at this.

His body is magnificent. Gajeel is fully built, muscled chest, abs and arms. His arms have metal studs on them which, whenever they brush up against me, feel cold against my skin. They also have scars on them. He never did explain where he got them and I never asked. If he wanted me to know, he would have told me. I respect that.

His mouth leaves mine and he starts kissing down my exposed skin. It feels so good. I remember the first time we started getting more physical. His lips were always cracked and it felt so scratchy against my skin. I told him to use some lip balm. At first, he ranted how girly it was, but when I told him that it would really make me happy if he did it. When he started kissing my skin the next time, his lips weren't cracked anymore. I've never seen him applying lip balm but I can feel the difference.

His hands are caresses my body. He runs his fingers along my stomach. It feels like they are dancing. It reminds me of another story. You see, he used to rip off his fingernails which left him uneven cuticles, scratching me. I told him to use a nail clipper and he did. Now whenever he rakes his fingers on my skin, he doesn't scratch me.

"Levy." He whispers as he caresses my skin. "My Levy." He grazes his lips down my throat. He's making his way to my breasts.

My mind is muddled. I can only feel. I have to respond. I have to give him something for all he's giving me.

I wrap my arms around his neck and rake my hands through his hair. I can hear him growl. He likes when I play with his hair. I remember the first time making out with Gajeel. My hands got stuck in his hair because he never brushed it. I never understood it. How could he keep his hair long and not take the time to take care of it? I actually decided to brush out the knots. Of course he whined and complained as I put a comb through his hair and again as I showed him how to wash it. But ever since then, he took better care of his hair and now I can run my hands through it without getting tangled.

"Gajeel." I moan as he puts his large hands on my breasts. He gently massages them, gropes them, runs his fingers across them.

I was never really confident with my breasts. Compared to the other girls in Fairy Tail, mine were so small. Well, not small, B cups. But still, all the other girls are C and D cups. It never bothered me until I started crushing on Gajeel. But he settled that one day when I tried changing my look. He told me that he liked me just fine. From then on, I knew that he was attracted to me.

I feel my bra snap. It brings me back to reality. He's grinning over me. His finger transformed into a knife. Oh my god! He didn't.

I look down and see that he cut my bra. "Gajeel." I whine.

"It was in the way." He snickers.

"Stupid Gajeel." I say as I stick out my tongue.

He leans in and kisses my breasts. As soon as he does, I completely forget about my broken bra.

He takes one of them in his mouth. He swirls his tongue around my nipple. It feels fantastic. Gajeel has a wicked tongue. The things could do with it makes me shudder in pleasure The way it can bend as it languidly makes its way along my body makes me moan out his name. It's never in a hurry. It takes its own time, which feels amazing but it is frustrating at times, especially when there are other things I would like for him to do with it.

This time, however, Gajeel is moving quickly. He reaches my panties and, like my bra before it, rips them off. I don't say anything now. I think he knows what I want. He has always known what I want, even when I never knew.

He takes a whiff of me ... down there. Even though he has done this many times before, I'm still embarrassed by it. I know that he's a Dragon Slayer and his sense of smell is much more developed than regular people. Sometimes he can't help smelling my unique scent. He says that it both calms and excites him. But it still embarrasses me whenever he sniffs me like a dog.

"You smell delicious, Levy." He whispers throatily. "Good enough to eat." And that's when puts his wicked tongue to work. When he did, my mind became blank. God, it feels amazing.

Before me and Gajeel started dating... heck before I even liked a guy enough to be intimate with him, I always thought I would be the kind of girl who would only have plain vanilla sex. You know, like the kind in those harlequin romances where the guy makes love to a girl on a bed of roses after champagne and stuff, the perfect lover as it were. That's the kind of stuff I thought that I would be into...

I never thought that I would be the kind of girl who would enjoy being nipped at or being 'eaten out' as Cana likes to say. Heck, I never thought that I would suck on a guy's nipples or give him a 'blow job' either. Such concepts were dirty and strange to me at the time. I have to admit I was a bit prudish about my nonexistent sex life.

But Gajeel changed all of that. He's not the perfect lover like in the harlequin novel. He's a bit forceful at times, pushing my limits farther than I thought I could go. I never knew how good sex could be. Whether we did a little role play (his favorite being me dressed as a grade A school girl and him being the bad student who corrupts me), some food play (I love licking chocolate and whip cream off of his rock solid chest) or whatever. He's also a bit impatient. There would be times he would rip off my clothes just to get me in bed. And they were good clothes too, clothes that would cost thousands of jewels. I would be mad at first, but after he got to work on me, I would forget the ripped clothes and ...

Oh god. He's doing that thing where he curls his tongue and puts a finger inside of me. That always finishes me. I shudder and my body becomes boneless. Did I mention that he has a wicked tongue? Because he does and it's very good.

Yes we've done many things in the bedroom. However, there was one thing that we haven't done in the three years we've been dating and the four months of our engagement. To put it in a term that Cana once used, the Iron Dragon hasn't made a home in my cavern.

Before my relationship with Gajeel, I always thought that any kind of sexual interaction I experienced would only occur inside of marriage. But he is such a satisfying lover. I really can't say that I am unhappy with him pushing me farther than I thought I would go. There were times during our intimacy where I really wished I hadn't made such a commitment to being a virgin in that respect. He could make me feel such pleasure throughout my body that I really wanted him to take me. But he never did. He knew how much I wanted my first time to be when I was married. And it makes me happy that he respected that. That is love. No other guy would have waited that long. I know that that is love.

Gajeel hovers over me, kissing my neck, my shoulders, my breasts. It feels so good, especially just after my climax.

Now he wraps my hands around my back and lift me into his arms. I wrap my legs around his waist as he sits with his legs flat on the bed. I always feel safe in his embrace.

"Levy." He whispers in my ear, running his fingers through my hair. "Love you, Levy."

I love hearing him say that he loves me. It's not that he never says it or that he doesn't say it often. It's that when Gajeel tells me that he loves me, he gets this look in his eyes. It always seems to me like he's naked and vulnerable (a term that he doesn't like using when referring to himself). He has always had a problem where he would think that he wasn't good enough for me. That's when I would remind him that I love him to reinforce his belief in my love.

"Love you too, Gajeel." I whisper back. And that's the truth. I never felt anything stronger than my love for him.

"Are you ready?" He asks me. "Are you ready to do this?"

I know what he's asking me. I know what he wants. And I want it too.

"I'm ready, Gajeel." I tell him. "Make love to me please."

"Gi hi, you damn well better be." He smirks.

He puts his hands on my butt and prepares me for what is about to come.

I've always wondered what was Gajeel's fascination with my butt. He's said that it's perfect and round and soft. When I asked him why he liked my butt, he responded that whenever he looked at it, he thought about having sex with me. Yes, Gajeel may not be the most tactful person in choosing his words but it always makes me happy to know that I am physically attractive to him. He'd always mention in our private time that he had dreams of nibbling on it. For that, I'd hit him. But it didn't stop him from caressing my butt, blowing hot air on it, even kissing it at times. Again, his actions showed me how much he loved every facet of me and how far I could be pushed in the bedroom.

I can feel him lowering me onto himself. We are about to be joined as one. I have to admit that a part of me is still nervous. Gajeel is my husband and I love him. I want this. There's just this niggling feeling in my head that I can't seem to get rid of... Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I know it's going to be a bit painful. I've asked some of the girls in Fairy Tail and I know that the first time is always the most painful because the female body isn't used to the intrusion, however welcomed it is.

Gajeel must have sensed my worry because he stopped his motions. "Levy, look at me." He commands.

I look deep into his red eyes. I've always liked the color of his eyes. Red... it's such a unique color. It's the color of a rose, the color of the morning sun, ... yes it's the color of blood too. I've never met anyone that has his eyes. It makes me happy to know that his unique eyes look at me with love.

"I'm gonna do this quick." He tells me. "It'll be easier for you."

"Can't you do it slow so I can adjust?" I ask him.

"Naw. It's easier faster. Like pulling a bandage off or pulling a tooth." He responds. Of course he would respond with something that like.

"How would you know?" I ask. "You're not the one who has to feel it."

He doesn't say anything. Instead, he just kisses me deeply. With that kiss, I can hardly focus on anything, much less the impending intrusion.

I think I'm ready. "Okay. But can we do a countdown please?" I beg him.

He brushes his fingers across my abdomen. "Sure. On three." He tells me.

"On three." I respond.

Okay, deep breath.

One...

All of a sudden, I feel myself being impaled by his manhood. I take a breathless gasp. How did I know that he was going to do that?

I feel a dull pain down below. It doesn't feel as bad as probably should have. I mean, my hymen was probably torn long ago thanks to the strenuous activities of being a mage and due to the attention that Gajeel laved on me. Maybe the pain is more exaggerated than it actually is.

"Shit." Gajeel mumbles into my shoulder. Those are my thoughts exactly.

"Feels so good." He says as he nips on my neck. "You okay?"

That he's thinking of me makes me feel loved. "Give me a second." I tell him.

He puts his large hand under my chin and uses his thumb and forefinger to lift it. He leans in and kisses me deeply. Oh that wicked tongue is going to work again, reveling with mine and dominating it. He is just so good at this. It's still hard to believe that I was his first kiss.

We break apart to catch our breath.

Gajeel kisses my forehead. "I'll take it slow."

He lifts my hips, preparing to impale me again. I prepare for the thrust. This time, it's much slower. I can feel him. It's like he's brushing up against every nerve inside of me and I have to admit that it feels good. The pain is more like an itch that you can't scratch than something that actually hurts.

"Still with me, Levy." He asks.

"I'm good." I tell him. "You can go a little faster."

He nods and takes my hips in his large hands. Gajeel starts again, thrusting inside of me. I have to admit that I feel much better. It feels really good.

I have to do something. I have to give him the same pleasure that he's giving me. So I lean in and start kissing his chest. Did I mention that I love kissing his chest. It's like a solid plane of muscle. It feels so warm against my lips. And I can feel his heartbeat on my lips. It's very comforting to feel it or hear it. I have to admit that I've become spoiled by it. I find that it's harder to fall asleep when I can't hear it.

He starts moving faster and it seems that my body is responding on its own, meeting his thrusts with my own. I wonder if Gajeel picked this position on purpose. You see, I've heard many jokes about my height in relation to Gajeel's. Yes, he's a head taller than me and I only reach the base of his throat. But in this position, where I am in his lap and he's holding me in his arms, we fit together, like two pieces of the puzzle.

One particular thrust has me seeing stars. God, that feels good.

"Gajeel." I moan. My ears can hear just how wanton I've become. But I don't care. I want to feel that again. "More. Faster! Harder! Just more."

"Gi hi." He snickers. "You got it, Levy."

And he does so.

The thrusts come more rapidly. I can hardly think. But that's okay. I don't want to think. I want to feel. I need to feel. And it feels great.

His arms wrap around my waist. It's like he's holding onto me like a lifeline. I wrap my arms around his neck,

My perception of time is kinda wonky. I don't know how long we've been at this but I can feel myself reaching the finish line. By the look on his face, it seems that he's the same.

"Levy, Levy, Levy." I can hear him say. "So close."

"Me too, Gajeel." I tell him.

And all too suddenly, I feel my climax hit me like a tidal wave. And I feel Gajeel's climax inside me. I didn't even think of protection. Luckily, I am still on the pill. I don't think we are ready for kids yet.

* * *

I feel completely boneless. Gajeel lets go of me and I fall back against the bed. He joins me afterwards.

Gajeel grabs me and presses my body against his. It feels great.

"That was fucking amazing, Levy." He growls. "Totally worth the wait."

I have to smile. "I agree. That was great. You were great." I tell him. I know that it will do his male pride good to know that he's completely satisfied me.

"Damn straight I'm great." He whispers into my neck. "But you know what they say."

I roll my eyes. "What do they say?"

"Great sex only happens with great lovers." He chuckles.

"And who said that?" I laugh.

"I did."

I laugh out loud. But I have to agree. He was great.

There's a part of me that angry with me for waiting this long to do this. If I had known that it would feel so great, I would have considered doing this sooner. But mostly, I am glad that I waited until I was married. It feels more significant that I made love to my husband, the man I love more than anybody.

I look at Gajeel and his gloriously naked body. I start thinking about the man that I married and the kind of person that he is. I know that some of the girls who are in relationships have compared their man to their element. I wonder if I can do the same.

Well, Gajeel is associated with iron. What are the qualities of iron? Well, iron is strong. It's durable. It can be molded to fit whatever shape it needs. It can be used to protect whatever it desires. But more importantly, it can withstand the march of time.

Gajeel is like that. Of course he's strong. I've seen him destroy an entire guild because they hurt me. And he can take a hit. I've seen him bleed buckets of blood, endure broken bones and all sorts of pain to fight again. He has transform since the first time I've met him, from being a bad guy who wishes destruction on everyone to being the man I am now going to spend my life with. But more importantly, when he tells me that he loves me, I know that he'll love me forever. He doesn't use unnecessary words when it comes to things like this so I know that when he says that he loves me, he means it.

But iron isn't always a good quality. It is cold sometimes. It can cut if one is not careful. It can hurt others. However, its worse quality is that it can keep out good things.

Gajeel can be a bit abrasive at times... Okay, a lot abrasive. He doesn't really mean it. I can tell. Sometimes, he'll say something to me and I try not to be offended by it. I really do. But, it'll hurt me. On those days, I cry in secret so as not to make him feel worse. But he finds me out and does everything in his power to make me happy.

He keeps his feelings hidden from me. For a long time, I never knew about his secret fears about me leaving him. I know that he doesn't want to project any weakness but it still gnaws at me to know that I could have helped him but couldn't. To think that my big, strong Dragon Slayer was weighed down by such horrible thoughts... I don't want to even think about it.

But there will always be something lingering over our heads. It's been five years since it happened (actually twelve years but it was five to us) and it still hovers over us. It's the event that both of us would like to forget... our first meeting, the night that Gajeel attacked me. Gajeel carries that burden with him every day. Some days, it is heavier than others.

We don't talk about it. There is no point in bringing up bad memories. The past is past. And I've forgiven him for that a long time ago. If I didn't, I wouldn't have fallen in love with him. I told him to let the past be past, persist in the present and grab hold of the future. And I think he finally took it to heart.

Gajeel takes this opportunity to have me rest against his chest. I have to revel in the irony here. The same hands that once hurt me are now the hands that caress me so lovingly. The same mouth that spat insults at me is the same mouth that kisses me so deeply. The same person who once broke me is now the man that loves me so strongly. And I love him back. I think that we can move pass this. I truly do.

Gajeel is probably not be the man my brain would have chosen as a husband. I always thought that I would meet a man who has similar interests, like reading, learning new languages and enjoying the quiet things in life. But Gajeel isn't that. He's loud. He doesn't really read unless he's with me. He's a rough-and-tumble man. But he has every quality I was looking for in a husband. He's loyal. He's strong. He's considerate. But most importantly, he loves me and only me. And I love him too. I guess the old saying is true. The heart wants what it wants. I am glad that I listened to it. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here today.

"Levy." I hear him whisper.

From my vantage point on his chest, I look up at him. "Yes, Gajeel."

"Thank you." He says to me.

I'm a little confused. "Why?"

"I want to thank you for being my wife. I don't think I'll ever be grateful enough for this once in a lifetime opportunity." He sounds wistful, as if he can't believe that this happened.

"Well, you're welcome." I tell him. "And thank you for asking me to be your wife."

He gently pulls my body upwards so that my head is aligned with his. He kisses me again, deeply, purposely.

He pulls back after a moment to smile at me. A true smile. That smile I love. "I love you, Levy Redfox."

"Love you too, Gajeel Redfox. Now and forever." I smile back.

I feel sleepy. So I crawl back so that my head is on his chest. I can feel his accelerated heartbeat slow down as he prepares for sleep. Once again, his heart lulls me to sleep.

I began this day as Levy McGarden and ended it as Levy Redfox. I am in the arms of my loving husband. Our beginning may not be a fairy tail story. He may not be the prince and I may not be the princess. But perfect only happen in stories. Gajeel isn't perfect. We don't have a storybook relationship. But I don't care anyways. I love Gajeel in all his imperfection. We are now husband and wife. And we are ready to begin our new life together. Really, that's all that matters to me.

* * *

_Word Count: 5375_

**Well that's the end of that chapter.**

**I like to think that compared to all of the Fairy Tail couples I ship, Levy is the one whose sex life is more... shall we say diverse. What's the old saying? It's always the quiet ones. Ha. And believe me, I actually tried to make it less smutty. But I couldn't help it. Besides, they've been together almost four years. By now, they must have explored some of these avenues.**

**And I also believe that Levy is a rambler, like me. Every incident, everything that happens to her, she can relate that to something else that happened in her life. She reminds me of Ducky from NCIS. She always has a story. Even in the throes of lovemaking, I bet she can't turn off her mind to focus on what's happening.**

**Before you ask, yes, I am going to do a wedding chapter. However, it isn't any time soon. Trust me. But it will happen.**

**Well, liked it? Hated it? Have no strong opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.**

**Now here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_Gajeel accompanied Levy and her lapdogs on her escort mission one time. He was confused as to why she chose these kinds of missions. They didn't pay much. There aren't as many enemies to hit. And the clients are annoying. So why?_

**This should be an easy one. Nothing to complicated.**

**Also, one more thing. If you are interested, I wrote another one shot GaLe story called "The Comfort Thing". Not very long so if you feel in the mood, check it out.**

**Till next time,**

**A. Angel**


	10. J is for Jobs

**Yes, your eyes don't deceive you. This is a new chapter.  
**

**First off, I want to thank all of you guys for the reviews. I know I haven't been regular with my postings. There is a reason for that and I'll share it with you. **

**It's good news. About three months ago, a couple of buddies from work and I decided to make a video game and see if we can't get someone to publish it. So we set up a rough draft of characters, drawings, plot lines and all that jazz. Afterwards, we sent it to a bunch of companies to see if they would take it on. A week ago, we got a message from a major game producer saying that they liked the concept and want to see more. They told us to make a presentation of gameplay and stuff. Needless to say I was fucking stoked. Now we are in the process of building the game. The producers have given us four months to make a three hour demo.  
**

**I'm telling you guys this because one, this is exciting news to me. And two, it will also explain the fact that I will be focusing on the game project more than I will this. I'll still post chapters here and there but it won't be with any regular speed or schedule.  
**

**Anyways, enough of that, the reviews.  
**

**niners, Gajeel, the man of steel? That's a good one. I'll have to remember that. And like I told you before, as a guy, it really is hard to write a lemon from a woman's perspective. Thankfully, since at least 75 percent of all anime fanfics are written by women, I have many reference points.  
**

**Shizuka, thorn, I can't imagine Levy's brain shutting off, even in the midst of pleasure. Just like Ducky. It's funny and it give me a chance to pick her brain.  
**

**I'd answer more reviews but I want to just get into the story. And to everyone who read and especially those who reviewed, thank you for reals. Finally, 14 points to ajmonkey for guessing the word. Plus a point to thorn, akari, and piranha (btw, loved the comic you are making on DA)**

* * *

**J is for Job**

_Most people don't like their jobs. But you go out there and find something that makes you happy. Joanna ~ Office Space_

Gajeel was grumbling. This wasn't what he was expecting.

Levy, the day before, had asked if he wanted to do a mission with her. Gajeel had agreed thinking that it would be just him and Levy. Hell, he would have been okay if it was him, Levy, and Lily. But no, she had to bring her two lapdogs, Jet and Droy. And he was not happy.

Up ahead, Levy was merrily skipping in front, unaware of Gajeel's internal griping. Jet and Droy were slightly behind her.

"Dammit." Gajeel mumbled. "Why do these dumbasses have to come?"

Jet and Droy were doing the same thing.

"I don't get it." Jet grumbled. "Why does _he_ have to come?"

"Yeah." Droy agreed. "We can handle this job without Gajeel."

However, what they probably forgot that because of Gajeel's enhanced senses, he heard their grumbling.

"Is that so?" Gajeel sneered in a voice low enough that Levy wouldn't hear him. "Because if I remember correctly, you two failed at a simple escort mission so bad, she nearly was sacrificed to some god.

Jet and Droy looked away in anger and frustration. It was just like Gajeel to bring up one of their less than stellar moments.

Even though it has been almost six months since it happened, that one mission had been hanging over their heads. It was suppose to be a simple escort mission. However, they were attacked by a cabal of men who were trying to bring a god into this world. Jet and Droy were beaten to the point of unconsciousness and Levy was kidnapped. It was sheer luck that someone happened upon them and, after seeing the guild stamp, headed to Fairy Tail.

Gajeel was there when the traveler told Master Makarov what happened. But when the old master asked about Levy, the traveler said that he had only seen Jet and Droy. Gajeel immediately left to go find Levy and when he did, she was about to be sacrificed. The Iron Dragon Slayer destroyed everyone of those fools who had the audacity of hurting her.

Now it's not to say that they weren't grateful. It was thanks to Gajeel that Levy was alive and well. However, the fact that they couldn't protect their friend left a bad taste in their mouths. And Gajeel never missed an opportunity to hold that incident over their heads. Normally they would suffer in silence.

Today, however, was different.

"Get over yourself, Gajeel." Jet shot out. "Just because you saved Levy that one time doesn't mean that we are weak."

"And just because you are dating Levy now doesn't mean you get to throw us aside." Droy added.

Gajeel just grinned maliciously. "Seems like someone is jealous."

Lily just closed his eyes, wanting no part of their rutting. This was beneath him.

Jet and Droy knew that they were about to stoop to Gajeel's level but the gloves were off now.

"It's too bad that you didn't know Levy when she was young." Jet spat. "We have so many memories with her."

Droy understood exactly where Jet was going and decided to join in. "I remember when we put on a play and Levy was cast as the Good Fairy. She looked so cute in that costume."

Gajeel's smirk dropped immediately.

"We have so many memories, such good times together." Jet sneered.

"We had such a great childhood together, something you'll never get to share with Levy." Droy added.

Whether or not Jet and Droy realized it, they picked at one of Gajeel's old wounds. The Iron Dragon Slayer's childhood wasn't happy. Hell, when Metallicana disappeared, it was downright shitty. The fighting, the killing, the destruction, but most of all, the loneliness. All of those feelings came back to him and he didn't like it.

Jet and Droy probably should have realized that Gajeel wasn't going to keep up a battle of words for words. Soon he would lash out with his fists. And yet, they didn't see the first punch coming. Soon they devolved into a two on one brawl.

When Levy heard the commotion behind her, she stopped in her tracks immediately.

"Hey." She shouted at the top of her voice. "Stop fighting."

None of them were listening.

"I said stop fighting." The blue haired mage yelled again.

They continued their brawl, ignoring her pleas.

Levy knew that they weren't going to stop just because she yelled at them. Drastic measures were required. The petite mage took out her Light Pen and prepared her magic.

**SOLID SCRIPT: RESTRAINT**

The word Restraint became solid and wrapped around the waist of both Jet and Droy, effectively stopping the fight.

Gajeel, seeing Levy's lapdogs restrained like that, was so amusing to him that he started to laugh.

**SOLID SCRIPT: MAGNET**

The word Magnet became solid and let out a powerful magnetic field. Gajeel Redfox, being the Iron Dragon Slayer, felt himself being pulled towards the magnet. His head hit the magnet with significant force.

"Dammit Levy." Gajeel growled. "What the hell is this?"

"It's a powerful magnet." Levy explained. "Don't try struggling against it."

Despite Levy telling him not to, Gajeel tried to pry himself from the magnet. Every time he tried to, he got stuck in various painful positions. The Solid Script mage ignored Gajeel for now and walked towards Jet and Droy.

"Jet, Droy, I can't believe you two." She said in an admonishing voice. "You two should know better than to get into a fight on a mission. For Team Shadow Gear to succeed on a mission, we need to be in sync. If we aren't, then we are more likely to fail."

Jet and Droy hung their heads in shame. Gajeel would have laughed and made a tucked tail joke but his newest position had him in so much pain, particularly around the pelvis region.

"The reason I asked Gajeel to come on this mission with us" Levy continued "is because I want to show him how we do things. And I might ask him to come with us on missions from here on, either as extra muscle or just because. I want to show him how we work as a team. But most importantly, I want to show him two of the most important people in my life and how they have supported me throughout the years."

Jet and Droy felt extremely guilty now.

"Jet, Droy, understand this." Levy told them. "Gajeel is my boyfriend now and I really like him. I would have thought that you would be supportive of me and my relationship. It pains me that you still don't see him as a member of Fairy Tail even after everything he has done to prove himself."

A single tear fell from Levy's eyes. "If you can't accept the fact that Gajeel and I are dating, I don't know if we can be friends anymore, let alone be teammates."

"Levy" Jet and Droy whispered. "We're sorry."

Levy nodded. Then she walked over to Gajeel.

"Gajeel, listen to me." Levy began. "Regardless of what you think, Jet and Droy are strong. We've been through many missions long before you joined Fairy Tail and we've always came through okay. Jet, Droy and I may have had hiccups here and there but we are still a pretty good team."

Gajeel was about to open his mouth and remind Levy about the times that Jet and Droy failed her but he realized that it might do him more harm than good.

"And we are great friends outside of missions." Levy continued. "I've been with Jet and Droy since I can remember. We've played together, worked together, and basically done everything together. They are my most precious friends and I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Gajeel looked away. Whether she realized it or not, Levy was making him feel very guilty.

"You may be my boyfriend and you may be the strongest out of all of us, but you don't have the right to judge my friends." Levy told Gajeel. "Whatever your gripe is about them, lose it or, if you can't, keep it to yourself."

Gajeel sighed heavily. This isn't how he wanted to start his first mission with Levy and her team. He may not particularly like those two but he loved the Solid Script mage more.

"And if you can't accept my friends, then we should stop seeing each other." Levy said in a muttered voice.

After her speech, Gajeel felt like shit. Levy was the best thing that has ever happen to him. If she were to leave... Gajeel didn't even want to think about it. Accepting those two lapdogs was a small price to pay to keep her. He may be swallowing his pride but it was worth it. She was worth it.

"Fine." Gajeel huffed.

Levy smiled.

The Solid Script mage snapped her fingers and dispelled the Script magic to the relief of the three males.

"Honestly" Levy huffed. "I can't believe how childish you three are. I'm starting to understand what Lu-chan goes through with Natsu and Gray."

Jet and Droy looked at Gajeel with obvious disgust which Gajeel returned. Levy, seeing that, stood between them. She put her hands on her hips in an attempt to make herself larger.

"All of you stop." Levy yelled. "The next time you start a rutting contest, I'll restrain you again and I won't let you out until you kiss and make up."

The three males looked wide-eyed at Levy. She had a look that said that she was serious. Perhaps, at least for now, it would do to stop the overt fighting.

"We're sorry, Levy." Jet and Droy apologizing, folding like a cheap tent.

Gajeel, however, stood his ground.

"Gajeel..." Levy grounded out in a low voice. She stared him down, a difficult feat considering that she was a head shorter than him.

Gajeel considered his options and realized that his best choice was to let Levy have her way...for now.

"Fine." Gajeel huffed. "No more fights."

Levy smiled at all three males. "Good." She breathed in a sigh of relief. "You know that it's sad that the only mature male here is Lily."

Lily closed his eyes and nodded. "It's nothing."

Levy scooped up the diminutive Exceed into her arms and hugged him. Lily didn't bother struggling.

Gajeel looked at Lily in Levy's arms. To most, the black Exceed looked like was just enduring her hug. However, the Iron Dragon Slayer noticed that there was a ghost of a smile on Lily's face and it was directed at Gajeel.

"You bastard." The Iron Dragon Slayer muttered under his breath.

"Now let's go." Levy commanded. "We have to meet our client."

"Who's the client?" Droy asked.

"Someone I haven't seen in over eight years." She said cryptically as she merrily skipped on the way to the destination.

Jet and Droy followed behind her. Gajeel, however, stood rooted. He honestly couldn't believe it. The Iron Dragon Slayer actually capitulated to the Short Stack. He had never surrendered before Levy entered his life. How did she do that?

Gajeel noticed that Lily was flying around him. There was a smirk on the black Exceed's face and he didn't like it.

"Out with it, cat." Gajeel barked.

Lily wasn't bothered by Gajeel's tone. "I've got a riddle for you." Lily smirked. "Think you're smart enough to figure it out?"

Gajeel didn't have the patience to deal with this right now but if he didn't play Lily's game now, the black Exceed would make this much more difficult on him. "Fine. Spit it out."

Lily nodded. "Okay. What starts with a W, rhymes with shipped and that's what you are?"

"Huh?" Gajeel asked, confused at the question. "What the hell kind of riddle is that?"

Lily flew away, towards Levy, leaving Gajeel thinking about the riddle.

"What starts with W, rhymes with shipped?" The Iron Dragon Slayer muttered to himself until he came to a particular word. "I am not." He yelled at Lily's retreating form. "Take that back, you bastard." He roared as he gave chase.

* * *

Team Shadow Gear plus Gajeel and Lily were standing in front of the mansion of their soon to be charge. Gajeel wasn't particularly impressed by the hugeness of the structure. In fact, he made a comment on how the owner of the house was compensating for something.

"Wait a minute." Jet's voice rang out. "This is _his_ place."

"Levy, are we escorting him?" Droy asked, not trusting his voice.

Gajeel was confused. "What am I missing?"

"This is Charmless's place." Jet and Droy groaned in unison.

Levy gave them an angry look, which Gajeel thought looked cute on her. "His name is Charmles, you two." She huffed. "And stop that. You are going to give Gajeel a bad impression of him."

"Trust me, Levy." Droy sighed. "He'll get a bad impression from him once Charmless opens his mouth."

Levy sighed and turned to Gajeel. "Don't listen to them." She smiled at the Iron Dragon Slayer. "He's not that bad. He's just a bit standoffish at first."

Gajeel closed his eyes in thought. Levy tended to see the good in everyone, which was the reason why she forgave and fell in love with him. While Gajeel had to admit that was one of Levy's best qualities, it did, however, made her more vulnerable to douchebags and assholes. Good thing that he's around... just in case he needs to bust some heads.

Levy knocked on the door to the mansion.

The mansion doors opened, revealing a middle aged man with graying hair.

"Ahh." The man said, acknowledging the blue haired woman. "You must be here to pick up the young master. Please wait a moment."

Jet and Droy were talking amongst themselves. Lily, knowing that Gajeel wasn't going to be in the mood to talk before a mission, flew over towards the two male members of Shadow Gear.

Jet turned to Droy. "Bet you my cut of the reward that Gajeel will hit Charmless within the first day."

"You're on. I actually think he'll last two days because he doesn't want to get on Levy's bad side." Droy reasoned. "But I do agree that Gajeel will beat the crap out of Charmless on this trip."

The doors to the mansion opened. When they did, a fanfare blared, shocking Gajeel and Lily. (Oddly enough, Levy, Jet and Droy were unperturbed.) In that moment, the Iron Dragon Slayer knew that he wasn't going to like this person.

The middle aged man walked out of the door. "Presenting His Most Awesome Excellency, Lord Charmles Ezekiel Argonia III of Sable Izoli." He announced in a loud but bored voice.

Gajeel and Lily were expecting this big shot to come out. Imagine their surprise when they saw a short, chubby boy in a green tunic and beret come out. The boy had beady eyes, a stubby nose that was running, curly blond hair and an air about him that was the essence of pomposity.

"Who the fuck is that?" Gajeel cried out in confusion.

"Charmles-chan." Levy greeted with a smile. "I haven't seen in almost a decade."

The boy, identified as Charmles, looked at Levy with confusion. "How dare you address me with such familiar speech!" The chubby boy spat in a nasally voice. "You shall address me as Charmles Ezekiel Argonia-dono."

Levy furrowed her brow. "Charmles-chan, you don't remember me?" She asked in a soft voice. "It's me, Levy."

Charmles regarded her curiously. The wheels in his head cranked furiously. Then, his face lit up in realization. "Levy-neesan." Charmles whispered. "I haven't seen you in so long. I am so glad that you are back from that secret mission."

Levy was confused. She didn't understand the words that came out of the kid's mouth. She turned to Jet and Droy, who shrugged their shoulders as if to say, 'What did you want us to tell him?' The Solid Script mage understood now. Jet and Droy told Charmles that she was on a mission instead of telling him that she was dead. She suppose that was the better scenario.

"Yeah, I'm back." Levy said, playing along with the lie.

"Okay then." Charmles said with an air of arrogance. "My servants have nearly packed up all my stuff. We shall head out in five minutes."

The chubby noble clapped his hands. Almost immediately, servants poured out of his mansion with a carriage laden with his belongings, which probably weighed a ton. Gajeel and Lily couldn't believe it. Who needed all of this to go on a simple trip, they wondered.

Charmles, however, started walking around the carriage. As he was giving orders to the servants, the chubby boy realized that there were two new faces.

"Who are you?" Charmles demanded, looking over the two with a critical eye.

Gajeel stared down at the pompous prick in front of him. He had half a mind to punch him into the ground. But that wouldn't make Levy happy (and incidentally, he wouldn't get paid.) For her sake, he wouldn't beat in his skull.

Lily, realizing that Gajeel wasn't going to say anything, took it upon himself to introduce the two of them. "My apologizes, Charmles-dono." The black Exceed said with false deference. "He doesn't speak much. But he is Gajeel and I am Pantherlily."

"A talking cat?" He shrieked. To say that Charmles was surprised would be an understatement.

Lily exhaled a long suffering sigh. "I am not a cat. I am an Exceed." He told the nobleman. "But I can understand the confusion."

"Cat, I'll give you 20 million jewels to live with me." The chubby kid offered.

Lily could feel Gajeel bristle. Evidently, he didn't like that the client made an offer to buy him.

"I am not interested." Lily said calmly. "Believe it or not, I like my life in Fairy Tail."

Charmles's face scrunched up in anger. Obviously he wasn't used to people telling him no.

"How dare you." The nobleman shouted. "20 million is very generous for a flea infested, undignified alley cat like you."

Lily just brushed off the insuilt. However, Gajeel was furious. Not only did he try to buy Lily but then he insults _his cat_? Oh, he's gotta die.

Fortunately for Charmles, Levy put herself in between Gajeel and him. "Lily is a dear friend of ours." Levy said with a smile. "It would break my heart if Lily didn't return back with us."

Charmles sighed. "Fine, you can keep the cat."

"Thank you, Charmles-chan." Levy said. "Your stuff should be ready. Shall we head off?"

"I suppose as long as Metal Brows doesn't come with us." The chubby kid added.

Gajeel was shaking with wrath. Oh this kid had to die very, _very_ slowly.

"But Charmles-chan, he's here for extra protection." Levy said in an aside. A clever smirk crept along her face. "You know you are a high value target. Gajeel is here for added protection. But if you think you can handle it..." She let that sentence hang for dramatic effect.

Charmles thought about it for a while.

"Fine." He said. "As long he doesn't talk to me or touch me, I guess I can tolerate his company."

"As if I want to touch you anyways." Gajeel muttered to himself.

"Okay." Levy cheered. "Let's go."

Charmles got into his carriage. "Okay, Levy-neesan and lackeys." He directed in his most authoritative voice. "Let's go."

Levy called the Fairy Tail mages over to her. "Okay. So here is the plan." She told everyone. "Gajeel and I will take the front. I'll put up an early detection rune. Gajeel will watch my back. Lily, you'll be on top of the carriage being the lookout. Jet, Droy, you'll watch the rear."

Gajeel smirked. His girlfriend was so smart. "Smart girls are so hot." He chuckled to himself. He normally didn't take orders from those weaker than him but for Levy, he'd make an exception.

"Alright team." Levy shouted, pumping her fist in the air. "Let's go."

Levy and Gajeel got to their positions in the front, leaving Jet, Droy and Lily.

"A day." Jet reminded Droy.

"Two days." Droy told his partner.

Lily was confused. "A day or two to what?" He asked.

"Oh we are betting our share of the reward on when Gajeel will kick Charmless's ass." Jet told Lily.

The black Exceed chuckled. "Do you mind if I get in this?" Lily asked. "I say that Gajeel will crack by the third day."

"Betting against Gajeel?" Droy snickered.

"It's just because I know him so well." Lily smirked.

"We're heading out." Levy yelled. "Get into position."

Everyone got into their agreed upon positions. The carriage started to move and they were off.

* * *

**Day 1**

Gajeel allowed Levy to take the lead. While it made her feel important, it's not the main reason why he allowed her to do it.

Oh boys and girls, to tell the truth, the real reason Gajeel let Levy take the lead is so that he could get a good look at her glorious backside. The Iron Dragon Slayer bit his bottom lip.

"Dat Ass." Gajeel hissed through his teeth.

God, his girlfriend had an amazing ass, Gajeel thought. It was just so perfect like ... like ... something that's perfect. He didn't know. He's a fighter, not a poet.

He once heard someone in the guild say that when the divine creator made Levy, much time was spent on that bell-shaped hips which led to her glorious ass. (And though he agreed with that statement, Gajeel still beat that guy up for saying that.) Those perfect orbs probably fit perfectly in his hands. (He could only guess as he has never gotten the chance to test if he was right.) And when she walked, Gajeel noticed that Levy had this little wiggle. The pendulum motion of her hips was very alluring. Like a siren's song, Gajeel couldn't help but watch. It was all he could do not to ravish her right here and now. Damn everyone to hell if they try and stop him. But Gajeel knew that he wouldn't. Not because he didn't want to (oh god he wanted to) but he knew that he had yet to earn that privilege.

"Hey metal brows." A voice called out to Gajeel, taking him out of his thoughts.

Gajeel stopped right in mid-step. For once, Jet and Droy were right. This kid, Charmless, was a pain in the ass. It took all of the willpower in him not to put an Iron Dragon Pole in his squinty face. Hell, it would probably be an improvement over his current one.

The Iron Dragon Slayer turned around and gave him a look that demanded an answer.

"Are you a mute?" The noble asked snidely.

Gajeel closed his eyes and counted to ten, taking in deep breaths after every number.

"I asked you a question, you dumb uncultured lug." Charmles asked rudely.

Gajeel truly considered the ethics of gutting a client. His patience has never been tested like this and he worked with kids at the Magic Academy. How could Levy just take this? This asshole was just pushing his buttons.

The Iron Dragon was about to say something when Levy looked at him. She gave Gajeel a brilliant smile, while melted all of his rage.

Levy walked up to Charmles. "Charmles-chan, it would not be good if you are distracting Gajeel." She said with a wan smile. "He's probably the strongest one of us all so if you distract him, you are more vulnerable to attacks."

The color faded from the noble's face.

"Okay, Levy-neesan." Charmles relented. "You know, you'd make a good wife someday."

Levy blushed at that statement. Gajeel had to agree. Luckily for him, being her boyfriend put him on the fast track to making that a reality.

"What brought that up?" Levy squeaked.

"Well, you are cute, kind, and a capable mage." Charmles reasoned.

"Charmles-chan you are embarrassing me." Levy laughed nervously.

"Do you have a boyfriend at least?" Charmles asked.

Levy's blush became more of a light dusting. "Yeah. About a month ago, the guy I liked asked me to be his girlfriend."

Charmles nodded. "What's he like? I'd imagine that he's just like you, bookish, smart, fun to be with."

Levy smiled. "My boyfriend?" She asked. "Well, he's really strong, funny in a different way, very loyal, kind in his own way, a great singer, but most importantly, he saved me... plenty of times."

Gajeel grinned surreptitiously. Hearing his girlfriend praise him made him feel great, not that he would ever show it..

"Sounds like a nice guy." The chubby noble mused. "Perhaps I can meet him sometime."

Levy smiled and said nothing.

* * *

Night fell quickly. Levy told everyone to stop and prepare camp.

"Okay. I'll need to create an early detection script." Levy told everyone.

Charmles got off of the carriage. "Levy-neesan, tell Metal Brows to get some food for us." He said dismissively.

Gajeel got pissed and he started walking over to the chubby nobleman.

"You got something to say to me?" Gajeel asked threateningly.

Charmles smirked. "Ohh, it seems as though you are not a mute. That's good."

The Iron Dragon Slayer towered over Charmles and gave him his most intimidating look. (Jet was excited. If Gajeel hit Charmles, that would mean he won the bet.) Gajeel raised his hand in the air.

However, as he was about to strike the noble, Gajeel turned around and saw Levy smiling at him. That sight gave him a change of heart.

"Fine." Gajeel said through gritted teeth. "I'll get you something."

The Iron Dragon Slayer went stomping off into the horizon to get something to eat. This disappointed Jet. He was so close.

"Damn." Jet muttered. "I thought for sure Gajeel was going to hit Charmless."

The noble in question heard Jet's words. "Hey, fishhook hair." He said to Jet. "It's pronounced Sharm-lea, not Charmless, you uncouth plebian."

Jet frowned. If Gajeel wouldn't hit Charmless, he probably would. And though he was mad at Gajeel for not dealing with the chubby nobleman, the Speed Demon had to admit that he was impressed by Gajeel's willpower.

* * *

**Day 2**

The caravan was making solid progress. There have been no attacks on them, the roads were clear of all debris and stuff. They were full from the breakfast that they made just hours ago. Yeah, conditions couldn't be more optimal... well for the mages at least. As for Charmles...

"I'm hot and tired." Charmles whined.

Gajeel grinded his teeth. This was the 48th time that the annoying kid bitched. "How can you be tired?" Gajeel yelled. "You've been in your cool carriage sitting on your fat ass all morning."

Droy smirked. He had a feeling that today was the day that Gajeel would kick Charmless's ass.

Charmles moved back a bit. No one had ever talked to him like that. "How dare you, you hulking neanderthal." The noble shot back, his words laced with venom. "I am Lord Charmles Ezekiel Argonia III of Sable Izoli and you are nothing more than a peon."

Gajeel scoffed. "As if that fancy title means shit out here."

"It does in civilized society." He said haughtily.

"Yeah, that's why you don't have your own guards with you." Gajeel ripped into the noble with his words. "I bet that your own people can't stand you. I'd bet that they would leave your ass in the forest without a second thought. It's why you hire people like us.

Charmles bristled. "You ignoble piece of trash. You know nothing of high society." He spat. "I can trace my lineage back to the founding fathers of Fiore. With such a pedigree, I am the finest of all the stock of this pathetic country."

"I hate people like you." Gajeel said. "You think that just because you have money, you think you are better than us."

"I am better than you." Charmles shouted.

"Well, out here, your money and your fancy title mean nothing." Gajeel grinned viciously. "The animals and monsters won't hesitate to rip you to pieces just because you've got a fancy name. Bandits would kidnap you without a second thought and use your life as a bargaining chip. Out here, only the strong survive and the weak like you are prey."

Charmles fumed. How dare some low class trash talk to him like that! "You ignoramus. That Levy-neesan lets someone as rude as you hang around her is beyond me."

Oh this kid was asking for it. Gajeel could feel his fingers twitch, as if they were ready to become tiny blades. But if he did that, he would disappoint Levy (and he wouldn't get paid.) Gajeel decided to turn his back on Charmles.

"Gajeel." Levy's voice, even though it was soft, rang out loud and clear.

Gajeel looked at his girlfriend. He could tell that Levy wasn't happy with him.

"Levy." Gajeel huffed. "This kid is being an asshole."

"That doesn't mean you can lash out on him." Levy told him, staring him down quite effectively.

Gajeel sighed. He knew that he wasn't going to win this argument. "Fine, but I ain't apologizing to him."

Levy sighed. She knew that his Dragon Pride wouldn't allow him to make an apology to someone like him so she let that go immediately. Instead, she turned to Charmles.

"Charmles-chan, Gajeel is right." She told the chubby noble. "The only thing keeping you safe is us. You would do well to remember that."

"But Levy-neesan, this ignoramus insulted me." Charmles cried, melodramatic tears fell from his eyes and snot fell from his nose.

"He is right." Levy told him. "Just because you have money doesn't mean you can boss us around. We are mages, not servants."

"Levy-neesan." Charmles whispered.

"And it hurts me that you would insult my nakama like that." She continued, laying on the guilt.

Charmles sighed. Levy was right, once again. "I'm sorry, Levy-neesan."

Levy's smile returned. "Good, now let's all go forward to Haven City." She said cheerfully.

With that, the caravan went on its way.

* * *

Night fell and the caravan stopped, making camp in the clearing. Gajeel was about to go hunting when he felt a tug at his shirt. Taking a whiff of the air, he immediately knew who it was.

"Get your grimy little hand off of me." Gajeel growled.

"You know, I could use my vast fortune to crush you and your guild." Charmles told him, an air of superiority floated in his words. "As easily as you can breathe, I can take my money and destroy Fairy Tail."

Charmles probably thought that Gajeel would get angry. Perhaps he would come sniveling on his hands and knees begging him not to do that. Yes that would be good.

However, to the chubby noble's surprise, Gajeel laughed.

"What's so funny?" Charmles demanded.

"You aren't the first one who tried to use their money to crush Fairy Tail." Gajeel snorted. "The Heartfilia guy did that too. Guess what? Didn't work then, won't work now."

Charmles gripped Gajeel's shirt tightly. The nerve of this asshole.

Gajeel kept chuckling. "You know, the only reason you act like this is because you have money. You've got cooks you pay so you don't have make your own food. You've got servants to do all your work for you. You can pay for protection because you have money."

Gajeel yanked his shirt out of the chubby noble's hand. "But one day, and I hope it's real soon, you are not going to have a single jewel to your name. All of your servants? Byebye. All of your possessions? Gone. You'll have nothing. And no one is going to help you because of your shitty attitude. You are going to be all alone."

Gajeel turned around and grinned at him, bearing all of his teeth. "And I hope I am there when it happens so I can laugh at your fucking face."

The Iron Dragon Slayer walked away to get some food, leaving a stunned Charmles in his wake. Though it may be more satisfying to hit the bastard, he had to admit that breaking the little bastard with his words wasn't half bad.

Droy could only watch as Gajeel walked away without attacking Charmles. He couldn't help but wonder what happened to the old Gajeel with the hair trigger fuse. Where was that Gajeel? Two days have passed and still no violence.

* * *

**Day 3**

Gajeel need to hit something, anything. If he didn't, the Iron Dragon Slayer would use the chubby noble as a punching bag, regardless of what Levy would say afterwards. Where the hell are wild animals and bandits when you need them? In fact, this trip had been very quiet. Perhaps this kid isn't as important as he thought he was. Still, his fingers twitched with the need to inflict harm on someone.

And Charmles didn't make things better.

"I can't believe that I have to spend three days with such low class trash." He mumbled. "Well, except for Levy-neesan, this trip was horrible."

Gajeel bristled. This kid had to be the most ungrateful bastard he had ever come across. Hell, even Master Jose said thanks every once in a while, not that he cared or anything.

However, he kept his mouth shut. He wasn't getting into another conversation with this brat.

"Hey Metal Brows." He called out to Gajeel.

Gajeel had a Iron Dragon Sword with Charmles' name on it. The long haired man stomped over to the chubby noble.

"What?" He yelled, giving the kid the Evil Eye.

Charmles was unfazed. "It is hot. Stand in the sunlight." He commanded.

Gajeel shivered in anger. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" He asked through gritted teeth. "Do you want me to blow cool air in your face or maybe put a cloud in the sky so you aren't hot anymore. Or maybe, just maybe you want me to put out the sun?"

Charmles threw his canteen at Gajeel. "Well you can get me some water, peon. I am thirsty." He sneered, most likely unaware of the threat of that is this S class mage.

Gajeel transformed his hands into blades, frightening Charmles.

"What are you doing?" Charmles shivered in fear but tried to mask it with an authoritative voice. "Stand down."

Everyone watched as Gajeel raised his sword arms in the air. Would he really gut this man?

Gajeel turned around and saw Levy looked at him with soulful eyes. The Iron Dragon Slayer felt the anger leak out of him. With a terrifying cry, the long haired mage planted his sword arms into the earth and poured a significant amount of his magic into his arms. This caused the ground to split open.

Charmles was frozen in fear. This man was a monster.

Gajeel breathed heavily after that expenditure of magic. After that, he picked up the canteen. "I'll get you your fucking water." He growled and walked away feeling slightly better now that he put fear in Charmles's heart.

Charmles fainted soon after.

* * *

With Charmles passed out due to fear, the rest of the trip went rather smoothly. They encountered no enemies or wild beasts and arrived in Haven City in one piece. The caravan reached the noble's other house in the city.

"Well we made it." Levy told everyone. "Good job, team." She cheered.

Her teammates, however, did not share their enthusiasm. They were just glad that the job was over.

"Well, I'm going to collect our pay." Levy said with exuberance.

She walked over to Charmles. "Well, you have reached your destination safely." She told him. "About the pay."

Charmles seethed at Levy. "How dare you ask for a reward after that monster threatened me?" He shook with furious rage. "He nearly killed me. You'll get nothing from me."

Levy was unfazed. "Now that's unfair." She said. "We escorted you and your stuff from Sable Izoli to Haven City. We kept you safe on the journey. We had a deal."

"That man is a monster." Charmles told her, his fury unchecked. "I can't believe that you would allow a monster to join you. I thought you were better than that."

Levy's eyes narrowed in anger. "How dare you talk about Gajeel like that." She said in a low voice. "Despite what you may think, he's a good man."

"Either way, you'll get nothing." Charmles spat. "Now leave before I call my guards."

Levy sighed. Then, what could only be described as a creepy smile crossed her face. "I suppose I am going to have to call my boyfriend so he can settle this."

"Do it." Charmles dared her. "By the time he gets here, I can mount a small army. No matter how strong you claim he is, he'll not be able to defeat them."

Levy continued smiling. "You think so?" She asked.

The Solid Script mage turned towards Gajeel, who was a good distance away. "Hey, Gajeel." She shouted.

"Yeah." He yelled back.

"You promised to take me out on a date the day after we returned from the mission." She told him.

Even from where she was standing, Leyv could see Gajeel blushing. "Don't shout out our plans." Gajeel roared.

Levy laughed. "But I thought I was your girlfriend, my little pookybear." She said in the most cutesy-wutsy voice.

Gajeel flushed. "You promised you'd never say that name in public, shrimp."

Jet, Droy and Lily laughed at Gajeel. Gajeel was hot with anger and embarrassment. The three of them started calling him pookybear. The Iron Dragon Slayer decided that he had to get justice and the only way to accomplish that was to kick their asses. And so he gave chase.

Levy, in the meanwhile, turned to Charmles and smiled. She noticed that the color drained from her face. That was a good sign.

"That monster is your boyfriend?" He stammered.

Levy grabbed the kid's ear. "Funny thing about dating a monster." She whispered in a venomous voice. "You start to pick up some of the monster's traits."

"Levy-neesan." Charmles whined.

"You know, all I have to do is say the word and Gajeel will come over here." She said. "He won't ask questions. He will just do."

"You wouldn't." Charmles whimpered.

"Maybe I'll do it myself." She said simply. "You've been giving Gajeel a hard time. I should rectify this myself."

Charmles was now scared. The look in the Solid Script mage's eyes told him that she was very serious.

"Okay, okay." He folded. "I'll pay out the five million."

"And a bonus because you made Gajeel's life difficult during this trip." She added. "Plus you made me resort to this."

Levy twisted Charmles's ear some more.

"Okay, 15 million jewels." Charmles' yelled out in pain.

Levy released his ear. "Good." She said.

Charmles grumbled and paid Levy the 15 million jewels that she was owed.

Levy turned around and was about to walk away. However, she stopped in mid-step.

"You know, Gajeel is right." Levy said softly. "Your attitude isn't going to make you many friends. Money and power fade with time but friends are forever. If you keep acting this way, you won't make any and you'll be left with nothing."

"Levy-neesan." Charmles whispered.

"I hope that the next time we meet, your attitude will change." Levy said. "Goodbye, Charmles-chan."

With that, Levy returned to her group, leaving the stunned noble in her wake. She paid out the jewels Jet, Droy, Lily and Gajeel.

"All right guys." She shouted. "Let's get out here."

Gajeel grabbed Levy by her dress.

"You are going to pay." He growled threateningly.

The girl was not bothered by this. "For the pookybear comment?" Levy laughed. "Well your revenge is going to have to wait because we are going on the train."

The hard look he gave his girlfriend dissipated, leaving Gajeel a little green. "Do we have to?" He mumbled. The menacing presence that the Iron Dragon Slayer emanated was gone.

"Don't worry." Levy told him. "I've got the best cure for your motion sickness.

* * *

Team Shadow Gear plus Gajeel and Lily took the train heading back to Magnolia. Levy allowed Gajeel to rest his head on her lap while she stroked his long hair. Jet and Droy, not wanting to be next to a vomiting Gajeel, were in a booth by themselves. Lily, used to the new motion sickness Gajeel, decided to fly about, giving the couple their privacy.

"Uhhhh." Gajeel groaned. This new motion sickness was starting to piss him off. However, with his head in Levy's lap, the Iron Dragon Slayer felt much better than if she wasn't there. Still not 100 percent but this was more tolerable.

Gajeel drank in Levy's scent greedily, musty books and that new citrus body wash that she's been using. God, it smelled so good.

"Gajeel." Levy whispered.

Gajeel grunted, not having the energy to give a reply.

"You did well on this mission." She said.

Gajeel opened his eyes and saw Levy smiling down on him. Now there was a sight he could get used to seeing.

"What?" He asked, very confused by her words.

"You should know that I had an ulterior motive by picking this mission." She said.

"What's that?" Gajeel questioned.

Levy wiped Gajeel's brow, which had become quite sweaty due to his motion sickness. "Gajeel, you have many great qualities." She said. "You are stronger than all of us. You are very loyal to Fairy Tail. And you're a lot smarter than you let on."

"You left out the part about me being a fantastic boyfriend." Gajeel grinned.

Levy chuckled. But soon after, she got serious. "But there is one thing you lack and that is patience."

Gajeel was even more confused. "Wha?"

"Sometimes, you are not going to be able to solve your problems with violence." Levy told him. "Sometimes, to complete a mission, you are going to have to be calm, not allowing yourself to be provoked."

"Levy, if this is about that bastard..." Gajeel began.

"Like I said, you did well on this mission." Levy said to her boyfriend. "Charmles got under your skin at times but you didn't attack him. In fact, with the exception of the outbursts that I think he rightly deserved, you were very calm."

"Che." Gajeel huffed. "I've never met a more irritating asshole, and I worked as a double agent in Raven Tail. I probably would have bashed his head in if it weren't for you."

Levy smiled. "I think you're really changing." She told him. "And I like these changes."

Gajeel smirked. "Okay, but only for you."

Levy leaned down and kissed Gajeel's forehead.

"By the way," Gajeel asked. "Why'd we got a bonus? I thought he wouldn't have paid us."

Levy had a sneaky smirk on her face. "Well, I may have dropped your name." She said cryptically.

Gajeel grinned wolfishly. "Really?" He drawled, liking this new side to Levy.

"Well, he insulted my boyfriend." She told the long haired man. "I had to explain to him in no uncertain terms that I wouldn't tolerate such words."

The look on Levy's face said it all to Gajeel. She had threatened Charmles with violence.

"Well, well, Short Stack threatened the bastard." Gajeel chuckled throatily. "You've become quite the little devil. I like it."

"Well no one insults my man and gets away with it." She said softly as she continued to stroke Gajeel's hair.

Gajeel couldn't help but feel lucky that this woman was in his life. And he had to admit that he liked this feeling.

* * *

Jet and Droy were sitting at one of the tables in the guild, a sullen look on their face. They had returned the night before from Haven City. They looked bummed out. It was this scene that Lily noticed immediately as soon as he entered Fairy Tail with Gajeel. He decided to investigate and flew over to them.

"What's the matter?" Lily asked the two of them.

"We lost the bet." They moaned in unison.

Lily's face scrunched up in confusion. "I don't get it. Gajeel didn't attack Charmles so wouldn't the bet have been a push. That would mean that no one got the payout."

Jet sighed. "Actually, someone did win the bet."

"Good morning, Jet, Droy, Lily." A cheery voice called out to them.

"Good morning, Levy." The guys greeted her.

"What's on the agenda today?" She asked.

"Me and Jet are going on another mission." Droy told her. "Wanna come?"

"Sorry but I have a date with Gajeel today." She apologized.

"Oh." Jet and Droy huffed.

"However, there is another matter I'd like to discuss with you." She said with a smile on her face.

Jet immediately knew what she was talking about and handed her the pouch with Jet, Droy and Lily's cut of the reward.

"Wait!" Lily said, holding up his paws. "Levy won the bet? How did she find out about it?"

"Well, she heard us talking about the bet as we were setting off and she bet that Gajeel wouldn't attack Charmless." Jet explained.

"Yeah, the only rule was that she had to let Gajeel make his own decisions and not stop him unless he did actually hit him." Droy continued.

Lily had to smile. That she had so much faith in Gajeel...

"How did you know?" Jet asked.

"I keep telling you guys that Gajeel has changed." She said with a smile. "Now do you believe me?"

With her 9 million jewels in hand, she wished the boys good luck on their mission and walked over to Gajeel.

"You ready for our date?" She asked.

Gajeel nodded and, with a hand on the small of her back, escorted Levy out of the guild.

Lily chuckled. Levy was right. Gajeel had changed. He was more patient than he was before his partner got together with Levy. She cultivated him and was in the process of transforming him into a better man.

And it was events like these that solidified the idea that Levy was a very good match for Gajeel.

* * *

_Word Count: 8013_

**That's done. Now some notes.**

**Charmles is from Dragon Quest 8. He is basically the same character there as he is here. If you want, go look him up. And yes, the Charmless joke is intentional**

**I've always wondered what kind of missions everyone else from Fairy Tail does. We only see Natsu and the gang so it's nice to think about who does what. The reason I chose escort missions for Levy is because I think that no one else has the kind of patience to deal with them. Can you imagine Natsu and company escorting a client. Disastrous.**

**Liked it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review.**

**Here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_Gajeel had to hurry. Levy's life depended on him. And when he found her, he would make those who kidnapped her pay. Because when it came to protecting Levy, he wasn't going to hold back. Even murder is an acceptable option._

**It's finally time for the showdown I kept mentioning in the previous chapters. You'll also be happy to know that this is also the third part of the Forgiveness arc. There was Denial, Forgiveness and this. Can you guess the K here? I wonder.**

**Till next time,**

**A. Angel**


	11. K is for Killer

**Chapter get.**

**Hello boys and girls and thank you for the reviews. Really make me happy. Let me get into some of them.  
**

**Bystander, your theory is possible. I mean I would have never thought he'd be able to work with kids but he did in the manga.**

**Xeylah, you know of Charmles too. Good. I thought I was the only one. And yes, he's probably the most obnoxious character in video games. **

**Chill, niners, Cecilia, let's not pretend that some of Gajeel's personality wouldn't rub off on Levy. Natsu's personality rubbed off on Lucy and they aren't together (yet). And I don't doubt Levy can be manipulative as well. She is very smart after all. And yes, Gajeel is very whipped.**

**Ulcassi, who said Gajeel heard about the bet? I didn't and no one told him. That was the whole point of the mission.**

**And to everyone who reads, especially those who review, thank you.**

**Onto this chapter. This is very long, about 10k words. And this chapter is the second of the GaLe money shots. I really loved this idea. I wanted this to be perfect so I held off posting this yesterday so I could proofread this further. (Unfortunate because something very interesting has happened mangawise.) This is also a scene from my game and it plays off on many themes.**

**Also you will find that besides the attacks, there are other words in bold. They refer to songs that I had in mind when writing this chapter. I'll post the song list at the end of the chapter but if you do get a chance, listen to it. It is really awesome.**

**Well, I'll let you get to the reading. I really hope you'll enjoy it. It begins with one of my favorite quotes in video games. I should warn you that this is an M rated chapter. There is a lot of violent imagery here. (It is Gajeel and the chapter is named Killer. What else did you expect?)**

**Finally, ninjaimmortal and killionaire get 13 points for guessing the word.**

**And now, our feature presentation**

* * *

**K is for Killer**

_When humans strive to protect the ones they love, that is when they generate the most power. In that moment, they truly become formidable beings. ~ The Agent, Chaos Rings_

Gajeel was running. He had never run this hard in his life. He had to run. He had to... because he was Levy's last chance. If he didn't run, she would die.

Lily was hanging onto Gajeel's hair. Normally in these kinds of situations, he would fly. However, neither of them knew what kind of situation awaited them. So in order to conserve his magic, the black Exceed agreed to ride on Gajeel's shoulder. That was the plan. But Gajeel was running so fast that Lily had to hold on to the Iron Dragon Slayer's long hair for dear life.

Gajeel pushed himself. The traveler's words was still swimming in his head.

* * *

Gajeel and Lily were at the guild. The long haired mage was eating a jar of nails and drinking his beer. Lily was drinking some sake. It has been a while since Gajeel was in the guild. Ever since Levy's confession and Gajeel's subsequent rejection, the Iron Dragon Slayer had been persona non grata. Lily picked up missions for the two of them. Three months later, Gajeel felt it was safe to come back. He still got a couple of dirty looks but they didn't say anything.

The Iron Dragon Slayer would have been content in his eating and drinking but a man came inside the guild and changed that.

Gajeel didn't really pay attention to the man. That is, until he asked for the guild master. Now Gajeel wasn't a nosy person by nature but he couldn't help but be curious as to what the guy wanted. Master Makarov walked up to the traveler and they started talking about happening on two people from Fairy Tail on the outskirts of Magnolia. Gajeel was going to ignore him when Makarov asked the man to describe the two mages. One was a lanky man with orange hair and the other was a chubby man with black hair.

Gajeel froze. Those two sounded like Levy's lapdogs.

When the master asked if there was a girl with them, the traveler said there wasn't.

Gajeel acted. He grabbed Lily and rushed out of the guild.

"Gajeel." Lily yelled, struggling in vain against the man's iron grip. "What is going on?" He looked up at the Iron Dragon Slayer's face and saw that it was dead serious.

"Gajeel." Lily called out to him. But Gajeel kept on running. The black Exceed still had no idea what was going on but he didn't fight Gajeel anymore.

"Gajeel, explain to me what's going on." He asked calmly.

"The shrimp and her two lapdogs were attacked outside the city." Gajeel explained. "The lapdogs are in a hospital but she's missing."

Lily sighed. He could read the signs. "Let's go."

The two of them headed towards the outskirts of Magnolia. Neither of them said anything. Gajeel was trying to pick up Levy's scent. He took a whiff of the air. That's when he caught it. It was faint but present. Gajeel ran over to where the scent was stronger. It was a clearing a bit away from where they stood. The Iron Dragon Slayer could smell the coppery scent of blood. It belonged to one of Levy's lapdogs. He looked around and saw indentations in the grass, indicative of multiple people standing in wait.

Lily could only watch as Gajeel investigated the scene. He didn't want to say anything for fear of breaking the man's concentration.

Gajeel sniffed around and that's when he smelled it. It was Levy's scent. He knelt on the ground and searched, finding exactly what he was looking for. It was a piece of cloth. He took a whiff of it. It had Levy's scent on it. This had to be a part of her dress, he reasoned.

This did not look good. Gajeel immediately started thinking about the worst. Was she captured? Was she dead?

"No." He shouted. "She's not dead. I'll find her. And when I find the people who did this, I'll murder them."

Lily wisely said nothing and hopped onto Gajeel's shoulder.

Gajeel sniffed the piece of cloth and got a more accurate read of Levy's scent. When he sniffed the air, the Iron Dragon Slayer picked up the scent and ran in that direction.

* * *

The first thing Levy could feel was that her chest was hurting. Even though her eyes were closed, she could feel it. And it was painful. She tried to move but Levy felt something constricting her wrists.

Levy opened her eyes quickly and immediately found herself groggy. She groaned quietly and took in a deep breath to settle her pounding headache. The blue haired woman opened her eyes again. What she saw was horrifying. The petite mage found herself in a woods. She turned her head and saw probably fifty men in black cloaks surrounding her. She looked at some of the trees and found women around her age tied to them. They were bound and gagged, preventing their escape.

Levy then looked at the area around herself. She was laying on an elevated stone block, tied down by magical restraints. Her dress was ripped along her stomach and she could see purple bruises on it. When she tried to move, she felt like her lungs were on fire. It probably was a cracked rib.

Levy was now afraid. There have been a few instances where she was as scared as she is now. There was the time she and her team were ambushed by Gajeel, the time Grimoire Heart had invaded Tenrou Island, and the debacle at the Grand Magic Games. But this time, it was much worse. It was because she was all alone.

The men in the black cloaks started humming in rhythm. It was starting to unnerve Levy. She tried casting a spell but the restraints prevented her from forming magic.

The humming started getting louder and louder. It was freaking Levy out. She wished one of them would say something.

One of the black cloak guys came up to her and touched her cheek with his hand. Levy instantly recoiled at the touch...or she tried to but her range of mobility was limited.

"Be not afraid, my child." The man whispered to her.

The words were like ice down her back. Instead of not being afraid, she felt even more terrified.

The man removed the cloak from his head and Levy could see his face. The man was middle aged, orange hair and green eyes. It was the eyes that confused Levy. They looked so kind. It didn't make sense. How could they look so kind and yet feel so dangerous?

"You are probably wondering why you are here." The man asked her unspoken question. "Well, allow me to explain."

The man took a step back and smiled at Levy. Once again, an action that should have calmed her did the exact opposite.

"My name is Hosea and I am the High Priest of the order of Lanigami" The man identified himself. "I apologize for the rough treatment but this was necessary, Miss Levy McGarden."

Levy's eyes widened. He knew her name. If he knew her name, then what else did he know about her?

"My order and I have been traveling the world and recording everything that is happening." Hosea continued. "We have seen bloodshed, wars, famine, plagues, and death. We have concluded that the world is slowly dying."

Levy said nothing. The man's words were scaring her.

"Evil is winning while good is being stamped out." Hosea explained. "As a man who desires good, I can't understand the problem of evil. Why is there evil in the world? What kind of righteous god would allow such atrocities to happen? Is there any salvation for mankind? Thankfully, after traveling the world and performing much soul searching, I came across the answer."

Hosea stepped back and spoke to another guy who handed him a weird object. Levy examined it. It was a gold plated device. On it were spherical objects. One object had the word EARTH written on it. Another sphere circling the Earth sphere was labeled MOON. Levy guessed that the other spheres had the names of other planets in the solar system.

"This is an orrery and it is special, just like you." Hosea smiled.

When Hosea smiled, Levy realized why she was bothered by his kind eyes, soft words and smile. They had no warmth. They were cold and distant.

In that moment, Levy knew that he would kill her.

"Please let me go." The blue haired woman pleaded.

Hosea smiled again. "This orrery is special." He ignored Levy's pleas. "There is a clock inside of it and it is counting down."

"Let me go." Levy said, a little more forceful.

"This orrery is counting down to the time when this world will end." The priest explained.

Levy shivered. The end of the world? She couldn't believe it.

"You do not believe me." Hosea chuckled. "It is to be expected. However, our holy scriptures and the current state of the world lead me to believe this."

"Let me go." Levy yelled.

"This world cannot be saved." Hosea told Levy, once again ignoring her. "But there is a way that we, good men and women, can transcend the destruction of the world."

Levy struggled against the chains despite the pain that she felt. She tried to summon magic but ended up with nothing. She was feeling helpless, at this man's mercy.

"The way we can save good men and women is with the help of our god, Lanigami." Hosea explained. "Lanigami-sama will take us into her bosom and spare the righteous from the destruction of the world. Then, with her mighty power, Lanigami-sama will make the world anew, ridding us of all doubt, pain, sadness, and fear."

Levy's eyes widened. She now saw these people for what they were, a cult.

"You will be the key in bringing our god into this sinful world." Hosea continued. "We've been searching for someone pure, a virgin who has not known the touch of a man and whose magic was unadulterated with impurities. And that is you, Miss McGarden."

"Help." She shouted. "Someone please help."

Hosea smiled without warmth again. "First, we will sacrifice these women." He told her. "It pains me to do it but it must be done. Their blood shall be poured out on you. With their combined sacrifice, you shall be ready to house Lanigami-sama."

He pulled out a dagger from his cloak, causing Levy to flinch. For a weapon, it was rather ornate, inlaid with gold and gems. It was a rather gaudy piece of equipment that looked like it was more for show than for combat.

"Then this dagger shall pierce you." Hosea explained. "As your blood flows out, you shall be filled with the spirit of Lanigami-sama, making you sublime."

"Help." She shouted louder, crying.

Hosea saw her tears. "I understand your tears. It is a huge thing to be asked to lay down your life. Do not be afraid of death, Miss McGarden." He whispered. "It is through your valiant sacrifice that the world will be saved. We will tell stories and write songs about your noble sacrifice."

Levy sobbed loudly. She was going to die. And not only was she going to die, she was going to die alone.

Hosea walked over to one of his men. "Cantor, is your song ready?" He asked.

"It is." The cantor replied. "The musicians are in place. We are ready to begin Hosea-dono."

"My children, it is finally time." Hosea shouted.

There was a group cheer from the others and they prepared themselves for the ritual.

* * *

Gajeel picked up Levy's scent. It was slowly getting stronger and stronger. And he noticed something else. There were multiple scents around Levy's. That only meant one thing. She wasn't alone. And considering that they left her lapdogs in such a state, they did not have good intentions.

Many thoughts started running through his head. What were they doing to her? Were they hurting her? Is she being raped? Was she dead?

No!

He couldn't think like that. Gajeel was going to make sure that she was okay. And those bastards would pay for hurting her.

Gajeel continued running in the direction of Levy's scent.

* * *

Hosea held up his hands. "My children, the time for salvation is at hand." He shouted. "Prepare yourselves. Cantor, raise your voice so that our god can hear the sweet melody from your lips. Strum the tulas, blow the flutes, bang the drums, ring the bells. Prepare the sacrifices. Let us sing and dance to rouse our god from her slumber."

The cult members started playing the instruments. The cantor prepared his voice by humming the scales.

The priest turned to Levy, who was still struggling against her chains. "Miss McGarden, you shall now bear witness to salvation as our god is brought into this world. Thank you for your sacrifice."

"I don't want to be a sacrifice." Levy told him. "I want to live."

"I understand." Hosea smiled wearily. "But know this, if you are not sacrificed, many more people will die. Please forgive me, but I cannot allow this. "

Levy tried to release herself from her restraints but it was fruitless. Levy started to cry. This was not how she imagined how her life would end.

She had so many regrets. She regretted not being able to learn more dead languages. She regretted not being able to read Lu-chan's book. She regretted not being able to be with her friends longer.

But most of all, she regretted how she left things with Gajeel. The last time they had talked was when she confessed her feelings to him. It really hurt when he rejected them. But then, Levy started looking at things from his perspective. And she realized that she was pushing her feelings onto him without thinking of his own. She wanted to apologize but he had isolated himself in his house, wherever that was, and did not come to the guild. That was what hurt the most. If Levy could see Gajeel one last time before she died, she would apologize.

Hosea lifted the orrery towards the sky. The device levitated from his hands. "Blessed be thee, Lanigami-sama. We present to you the orrery and the vessel that shall house your spirit. Let our voices reach you."

The cantor raised his hands towards heaven. "I am ready, Hosea-dono." He said.

"Then sing your song." Hosea commanded.

The music started playing. Dancers started dancing. The cantor waited for his cue and began his song.

_Statue of the death god whose head is spinning  
A bell rings, as if to expand the subject  
The rooster crows, the windows open  
The twelve Apostles move just like puppets  
Continuing a grand procession and they don't blink_

_Ancient Orrery (Celestial Clock)  
Which is automatic  
My twelve constellations  
Zodiac  
My Zodiac_

One of the cult members took a knife to a bound girl's throat. Levy could only watch and cry as the girl was killed before her eyes. Then the man took the girl's blood and smeared it on Levy's face.

* * *

Gajeel stopped for a second.

"What's wrong?" Lily asked.

"I hear something. Sounds like music." Gajeel told the Exceed.

Lily gave Gajeel a concerned look. "Music?" He asked incredulously. It wasn't as though Lily doubted Gajeel. It's just that that was the last thing he expected the Iron Dragon Slayer to say.

All of a sudden, the skies began to darken. Both Gajeel and Lily felt it was like an omen. Something bad was going to happen.

Gajeel continued running. He was going to find Levy.

* * *

_From ancient times in my body  
One hundred towers rise up  
Internal scenery, ideal city  
Church in a graveyard, a monastery_

The cantor continued his song. Dancers danced around Levy, musicians played their instruments and another girl was killed in front of her. That girl's blood was smeared on her as well. The orrery was glowing, a sign of something major happening.

Levy was getting scared.

_Eye of the Earth, an example of movement  
An intellectual statue, a constellation of effort  
An incomplete embryo, the secret of death  
Theater, Hospital, Museum _

Gajeel smelled a change in the air. It was a change that brought a foreboding atmosphere. The Iron Dragon Slayer hurried onward.

_Man-made flesh, Grotto labyrinth  
Grand history of illusory architecture  
Man-made clock, countless balances  
Spinning round and round, individual moment_

_From the ancient city all the way to me  
Ending with that day, one day's clock  
Daytime is the sun, Nighttime is the moon  
One day's natural clock_

* * *

Gajeel stopped again. He and Lily could hear very loud bells. They were close. And they sounded so ominous. They needed to hurry. Gajeel ran again

_Mystery of internal city and clock_

More bells rang out. Gajeel ran double time.

_Geometric law, construct of clocks ticking_

Gajeel heard more bells and kicked it into high gear. He could now hear someone singing. But more importantly, he could hear Levy's screams. She was near and they were doing something to her.

They would pay. They would _all_ pay. He would kill them all. He would slaughter them all. They had no idea who was coming their way. But they soon will. It had been a while since he had gone on a murderous rampage. Fairy Tail had been good to him. But with Levy in danger, he was slipping back into his old ways. But it would be different this time. He would be murdering people not for his enjoyment (well, he will be thoroughly enjoying it) but to save someone.

* * *

_Unchanging eternity  
Modern perpetuity  
Universal truth  
Lack of variety  
Infinite variety_

The last of the girls were sacrificed and their blood was place on Levy's body. One of the cult members sauntered towards her.

_I become a human city  
I become a divided clock_

Hosea took the ornate dagger and handed it to one of cult members, who held it over Levy. He smiled at Levy, another cold smile. Levy closed her eyes and willed herself to be calm. She was going to die and she wanted to be at peace. The Solid Script mage imagined the faces of her friends in her head: Jet and Droy, Lu-chan and Natsu, Gray, Erza, Juvia, and everyone else. The last face she saw was Gajeel. She could feel it. They were with her, smiling with her. She felt at peace with death.

Gajeel could see people now. There were about fifty guys in black cloaks. Gajeel rushed towards them and preemptively turned his hands into iron swords.

_City, clock, discovery_

Gajeel could see Levy. She was chained to a slab. There was a guy standing over her with a dagger.

_City, clock, understanding_

Gajeel's sword arm extended to kill the guy with the dagger. He prayed he would be in time.

_City, clock, annihilation._

The dagger pierced Levy's stomach, but before it could be buried any deeper, an Iron Dragon Sword pierced the head of the cult member.

The music and singing stopped with the death of one of their order. The man was lifted up off the ground and tossed aside.

Lily, in his battle form, flew over to Levy and using his sword, freed her from her restraints. Gajeel came soon after. He was out of breath, doubled over in exhaustion, but he was here.

"How bad is it?" Gajeel asked, not even bothering to keep his anger in check.

"The wound is deep but it didn't hit any vital points." Lily explained, also angry that someone as sweet as Levy could be subjected to such violence. "I'll need something to stem the bleeding."

Without a second thought, Gajeel handed Lily his jacket. "Use this." He said.

Lily took it and ripped it apart, tying it around Levy's stomach over and over in an effort to plug up the wound. The black Exceed examined the petite mage further. "She's got bruises on her chest, might be a broken rib. There might be internal bleeding."

Gajeel looked at Levy. This wasn't the first time he had seen her like this. It brought back memories of the time when he was the aggressor towards this wonderful woman.

Levy felt like she was dead. She didn't the pain in her stomach or on her chest. In fact, she didn't feel anything. She opened her eyes. When her eyes adjusted, she saw the last person in the world she thought she'd see again.

"Gajeel." She whispered hoarsely. "Am I dead?"

Despite the situation, Gajeel snorted. "If you were dead, you'd be in heaven or something. You wouldn't see my face." He said.

The long haired man turned to Lily. "Get her out of here." He commanded.

Lily carried Levy in his arms and was about to fly when he saw an energy dome above them, preventing their escape. They were then surrounded by cult members with swords.

Hosea stepped forward. "You have interrupted a holy ritual." He said in a chastising tone, as if Gajeel was a child caught taking cookies from the cookie jar. "Please return Miss McGarden."

Gajeel glared menacingly. "What did you say?" He said in a threatening voice.

"Miss McGarden is important to our plans. She is the key that will bring salvation to the world." Hosea explained. Then he noticed the guild stamp on Gajeel's arm. "Ahh, you are of the same guild as Miss McGarden. How fate smiles upon us."

Gajeel was mentally counting the people surrounding them, seeing how many he had to kill to get Levy out of here.

"You too shall bear witness to salvation." Hosea explained, a cold smile on his face. "Miss McGarden shall become sublime. She will become the vessel for our god, Lanigami-sama. When that happens, the righteous shall be saved."

Gajeel was shaking with fury. What the fuck was this guy saying? That he was going to sacrifice Levy to bring a god into the world? He would not allow that to happen.

"To right the wrongs of our day, we shine this light of true redemption that this place may become as paradise. What a wonderful world it will be." Hosea shouted in a loud voice.

Gajeel couldn't take it anymore. He extended his sword arm to strike the priest where he stood. However, one of the cult members intercepted the blow with his body. Hosea didn't even move. He looked at Gajeel with sorrowful eyes.

"You don't seem to understand." He sighed. "I'm offering you salvation. All you have to do is hand Miss McGarden to me and we can complete the ritual."

"Fuck you." Gajeel spat, throwing away the man impaled by his sword arm. "I ain't giving Levy to you."

"Don't you want the best for her?" Hosea asked. "She will save the righteous. All she has to do is give up her body."

Gajeel felt his inside roil. This man was pissing him off.

"I understand why you would be hesitant in your friend's being sacrifice." Hosea smiled. "Your devotion to Miss McGarden is admirable. She is very fortunate to have a friend like you. But you shouldn't be sad. In fact, you should rejoice."

Gajeel shook with fury.

"Do not be afraid of your own innate goodness." Hosea cajoled. "We will welcome you into our fold. We will love you. We will become your family. And you will stand at the right hand of our god. All you have to do is hand us Miss McGarden."

Gajeel bowed his head. His magic pooled in the pit of his stomach until it exploded all around him.

Hosea sighed. "I see. I understand." The priest shrugged his shoulders. "I do not blame you. Who would want to see their friend die? But this sacrifice is necessary."

Hosea snapped his fingers. Gajeel heard the brandishing of weapons.

"Be not afraid. We will free you of your fears and worries." Hosea explained.

Gajeel felt his murderous feelings boiling inside him. They were going to die.

"Lily, protect her." Gajeel yelled.

Pantherlily nodded and put his sword in front of him and Levy. None were going to get by his sword.

Gajeel, meanwhile, made his hands into chainsaws. He needed the tactile pleasure of ripping these guys apart in the most violent way possible. What these guys didn't know, what they will soon realize, is that this man was going to destroy them... For this man was a killer. No, that isn't it. This man is a demon. But he wasn't just any demon. He was a demon filled with righteous purpose, a sacrosanct monster, a **hallowed beast**.

Gajeel charged the order. He caught one with his chainsaw and cleaved him asunder. Another one was bifurcated cleanly in half. A third was ripped apart by an Iron Dragon's Roar, leaving a bloody heap behind. The Order of Lanigami rushed him with everything they had: weapons, magic, anything. But it meant nothing to the Iron Dragon Slayer. They were annihilated in the most gruesome manner. Arms, legs, heads, guts, they were all cast aside like nothing.

Some tried to attack Lily and Levy and they were ripped apart by an Iron Dragon Roar. Some, seeing the futility in fighting Gajeel, tried to run but they were killed by knives produced by Gajeel's magic. There was no escape for any of them.

Lily watched as Gajeel eviscerated the cult members. He fought with such savagery, such brutality. It was horrifying to stare at. The black Exceed had never seen him fight like this. And if it wasn't for the fact that he knew instinctively that Gajeel wouldn't attack them, Lily would be afraid. This was not the Gajeel that he knew. No, this was someone, something else.

In what felt like an eternity but was only two minutes, nearly all of the Order was killed. All that remained was the cantor and Hosea.

Hosea sighed. "Why do you resist such a good thing, young man?" He asked.

Gajeel responded by throwing an Iron Dragon Pole his way. Oh, he was going to take his time with that one. He knew it right away. He was going to be the one that would suffer the most.

Gajeel's Iron Dragon Pole was about to reach when...

**SEVERING VOID**

A magic barrier was set up in front of Hosea, blocking Gajeel's attack.

"I will not allow you to touch Hosea-dono." The cantor told Gajeel. "Your opponent shall be me. I shall give you the salvation you desire."

"Get the fuck out the way." Gajeel snarled.

The cantor was nonplussed. "You don't understand what you are doing. But you will be made to see."

_You who would fly free across the heavens, stretch forth thy false pinions and know the blessings of the earth._

**TRACTOR BEAM**

The cantor raised his hands in Gajeel's direction. All of a sudden, the long haired mage was bound by three rings of light. The rings pulled him to the ground. Gajeel struggled to get free, yelling vicious words at the cantor.

"Now listen to the hymn that will set you free."

_Aifila Saná Phika é Simi Navilá  
Aifila Saná Phira ma Jyasti Ni  
Kôsei é Aina Fira ä Toure Ina  
Kôsei é Aiphi Tei ä Fadis Ray_

**LUMINOSO**

Gajeel looked in the sky and saw that a white meteor was heading his way, about to fall on him. With all of his strength, Gajeel ripped apart the rings. He aimed his arm at the meteor.

**IRON DRAGON LANCE: DEMON LOGS**

Gajeel shot out multiple lances from his fingertips. They reached the meteor and broke it into harmless pieces.

The cantor was shocked. He had never seen such a thing. He was in such a state of disbelief that he didn't see Gajeel rushing him until it was too late. The Iron Dragon Slayer impaled him with his fingernails through his chest. With brutal strength, Gajeel ripped open the cantor's ribcage and pulled them apart, killing him instantly.

He then turned his sight to Hosea.

"I understand now. You are a Dragon Slayer." Hosea smiled. "An Iron Dragon Slayer, to be precise. No wonder even the cantor fell to you. But know this. A dragon is naught but a fly in the eyes of our god."

"I'll fucking kill you." Gajeel growled menacingly.

Hosea held out his hands with his index and middle finger extended.

A white light glowed around Hosea's chest. Gajeel had to shield his eyes. When he did, he saw... a sword handle coming out of his chest. The priest pulled the sword handle outwards and a sword materialized out of his body. The Iron Dragon Slayer thought that was freaky.

"Oh Lanigami-sama, grant me the power of revolution." Hosea declared to the heavens. He then smiled at Gajeel. "You should surrender, Iron Dragon Slayer. Defying our god is like **defying gravity.** It can't be done."

"Fuck you." Gajeel snarled.

Gajeel charged Hosea with his sword arm. The priest met it with his own sword. Gajeel swung his other arm, transforming it into a sword but Hosea jumped over him. The priest then swung his own sword down on Gajeel but it was blocked.

Hosea pointed his index finger at Gajeel's forehead

**WHITE LIGHTNING**

A white beam shot out of Hosea's fingertip and hit Gajeel in the forehead, causing him to stagger. Hosea took this opportunity to cast another spell.

_Eternal light, ever true and undefiled, grant this wanton sinner before me the majesty of thy judgment._

**DIVINE RAY**

A ball of light materialized in front of Gajeel. The long haired mage wasted no time getting out of the way as light shot out of the ball. Gajeel prepared his counter attack. He took a deep breath and collected magic in his mouth.

**IRON DRAGON ROAR**

A whirlwind of metal shards raced towards Hosea but he got out of the way easily.

Gajeel charged forward again, summoning iron knives in his hand. He threw them at Hosea. The priest deflected them with his sword but Gajeel was counting on that. The Iron Dragon Slayer extended an Iron Dragon Pole at Hosea's stomach but the priest jumped on top of it. Using the leverage, Hosea jumped off of the Iron Dragon Pole and gathered his magic into his hands.

_Witness the logos of deliverance and be freed from your shackles._

**SHINING DELIVERANCE**

A white magic shot out of his hands, hitting Gajeel square in the chest and throwing him to the ground.

Hosea raised his sword to strike Gajeel. As he brought it down, Gajeel caught the blade with one of his hand.

"How?" Hosea asked.

That's when he saw it. Gajeel was covered from head to toe in iron.

"Iron Scales?" Hosea whispered.

The priest was cut around his midsection. Fortunately for Hosea, he moved his body enough to prevent Gajeel from only cutting the skin and none of his major organs. Hosea pulled his sword from Gajeel's grasp.

"Not bad, Iron Dragon Slayer." Hosea breathed heavily.

"I meant to cut you from the waist down. It was too shallow." Gajeel growled.

Hosea smiled. "Well either way, you will not strike me again."

_Cloak of blessed gossamer, weave thy protective lace around me._

**VEIL OF FAITH**

Hosea's body glowed with a pale light. He smirked at Gajeel. "You aren't the only one who can use magic to protect his body."

Gajeel wasn't impressed.

"Shall we continue?" Hosea smiled.

The two clashed with their swords. Each tried to overpower the other. Their magicks flared around them.

Gajeel and Hosea were thrown back by the force of their magic power.

Hosea righted himself quickly and prepared to cast another spell.

_Assemble blessed light and in Lanigami's name, lay waste to our foes._

**DIVINE SABER**

Holy lightning struck Gajeel harshly. Electricity ripped through the body of the Iron Dragon Slayer but he refused to scream in pain. When the spell was finished, the long haired mage dropped to his knees.

"I see." Hosea nodded to himself. "Since your body is made of metal, lightning based attacks hurt your more."

Gajeel growled and gathered magic in his mouth.

Hosea sighed. "Again with your breath attack? It didn't work then, won't work now."

_Come ravenous fang, draw out the pain._

**IRON DRAGON SWORD DELUGE**

Gajeel shot his breath attack into the air where it collected into a cloud. Hosea observed the cloud intently. Suddenly, the cloud started raining swords down on the priest. He couldn't dodge in time and was cut by the weapons. However, thanks to Hosea's protection spell earlier, he suffered minimal damage.

"You are tough." Hosea said, coughing up blood. "But against our god, you are nothing."

"Bring your worthless god here. I'll kill her too." Gajeel snarled, getting sick and tired of listening to this man postulate.

Hosea sighed and gave Gajeel a weary smile. "Very well. You shall witness the power of Lanigami-sama and you shall know salvation."

Hosea lifted his hands towards the heavens. A mysterious light enveloped him. The light caused him to levitate in the air.

_Come forth, Lanigami-sama. A merciful death to this sinner._

**LANIGAMI'S REVELATION**

Brilliant light shone around Hosea. Gajeel waited for the attack. That's when he saw that the space around the priest looked like it was being folded in upon himself. He could see something forming around Hosea. It took the shape of a face, a woman's face. The face looked at him. He looked back. Then the eyes of the woman shot out a giant magic beam.

It was too fast and too big to dodge. Gajeel was engulfed by the magic. This time he couldn't help the screams that he emitted.

When the attack ended, Gajeel fell to his knees. He was exhausted, his body was burned, and he ached all over. It would have been very easy for him to just lay down and die. But in the back of his mind, he knew. Levy was counting on him. He had to save Levy. That was the thought that drove him.

Gajeel went to the bodies of the other cult members that he killed. He found their swords and grabbed six of them.

"Just hand over Miss McGarden. Even with my brothers dead, if you do that, your sins will be forgiven." Hosea pleaded.

Gajeel didn't answer. Instead, he devoured six of the swords, crunching on the metal until he was satisfied. As he ate each sword, his magic started to come back until he was at full power again.

Hosea's eyes widened. "How did you do that?" Hosea asked, truly shocked at this turn of events.

Normally, Gajeel would have answered with the reason, that Dragon Slayers can heal themselves by devouring their own element. But that priest didn't deserved an answer. He deserved to be ripped apart with bloody violence.

Gajeel clapped his hands above his head and gathered magic.

**SECRET DRAGON ART - KARMA DEMON, IRON GOD SWORD**

A giant iron sword formed above Gajeel's head. With a mighty swing, Gajeel brought it down on Hosea, crushing him beneath it. The attack caused the ground to shake and kick up dust in the air.

After the magic was spent, the sword disappeared. Gajeel was breathing heavily. He was exhausted. But he won. He killed the priest and he felt pretty damn proud of himself.

With heavy, labored steps, Gajeel walked over to Lily and Levy.

"How's she doing?" Gajeel asked.

"She's breathing normally." Lily told him. "The blood isn't overflowing which means that the cut wasn't deep. But we won't know until we get her back to Fairy Tail."

Gajeel grunted in approval.

"You are very powerful." A voice behind them called out.

Gajeel turned around rapidly. "How is he still alive?" He asked, flabbergasted that the priest could have survived his attack.

Hosea looked a little worse for the wear. His cloak was ripped. His forehead was bleeding. His stomach had cuts on them and he lost his left foot to the attack. He chuckled. "You are very powerful, Iron Dragon Slayer. But before our god, you are nothing. **Now is the time of conclusion**, the end of our fight."

Gajeel made his arms become swords and charged Hosea again. However this time, the priest was ready. A circle of light formed under his feet and grew until Gajeel was within it.

_Heavenly melody, rain down from on high. Strike my foes as righteous lightning._

**CELESTIAL ELEGY**

Tendrils of light formed and crawled out of the circle. Gajeel cast his Iron Dragon Scales again in defense. The tendrils tried drilling him but Gajeel cut them down with his sword arms. He let nothing stand in his way of killing the priest.

"I see you will not be stopped by this attack." Hosea said in a calm voice.

Gajeel reached Hosea and swung at him. Once again, the priest blocked with his sword. But this time, Gajeel, with his brute strength, pushed Hosea on the ground. He was about to stab the priest with his sword but Hosea rolled away.

"What is it that drives you?" Hosea asked, standing back up.

Gajeel didn't answer.

"So be it." Hosea chuckled darkly. He pointed at Gajeel

_Oh chorus of angels who stand before the throne of god, allow me to be thy vehicle to create miracles and make the impossible things reality._

**ETHEREAL BLAST**

A giant wave of light shot out of Hosea's fingers. Gajeel used his sword arms to defend against the attack. The force of the attack pushed the Iron Dragon Slayer back but other than that, it did nothing.

"Impressive." Hosea complimented.

Gajeel jumped in the air and spun his body like a top. With his legs metalized, Gajeel's body became a rotating top.

**SECRET DRAGON ART - IRON SPIRAL**

Gajeel was coming down, rotating at high speed. Hosea smiled. He was ready to intercept the Iron Dragon Slayer. He held out his hands towards Gajeel.

_You who deigns god as beneath thee, prostrate thyself in deference._

**GENUFLECTION**

Blue light shone from Hosea's hands. The blue light also surrounded Gajeel's body. The light forced Gajeel's body to stop. Without the spinning rotation of his body, Gajeel rapidly fell to the ground. The light forced him to his knees.

Hosea chuckled. "Do you see? Even dragons bow to the will of our god." He said mockingly.

Gajeel roared in anger, trying to move but the blue light kept him bound in that position.

Hosea prepared another spell. As he did, the skies grew dark around them. Gajeel stopped struggling. A cloud materialized over him.

_Oh glorious heaven, let loose thy peals of thunder and send mine enemies to the mellifluous twilight that awaits._

**STORM OF JUDGMENT**

Lightning bolts fell from the cloud and struck Gajeel relentlessly. And even though he was being struck, Gajeel still struggled against the bonds that tied him.

Hosea sighed sadly. "Why do you insist on suffering, Iron Dragon Slayer?" He asked, truly wondering the answer. "What do you gain by persisting? If only you would give in, you would be in paradise. There is no reason in fighting me. We both want the same thing, I'm sure."

"Shut your mouth." Gajeel growled as lightning struck him. "Shut your fucking mouth. You know nothing."

Hosea was shocked by the outburst. "I don't understand. Why do I know nothing?" He asked.

"Because you think that some god can make this shitty world better." Gajeel groaned as another bolt hit him.

"Iron Dragon Slayer, you do not seem to understand the severity of your words." Hosea said, shaking his head. "You also don't understand the reason for Miss McGarden's birth. She was born for this very moment. It is written that she will be the vessel to create a new world. She belongs to the world."

With a thunderous bellow, Gajeel broke free of the restraints. A well placed Iron Dragon Roar later, the Storm of Judgment cloud was gone.

"That's where you're wrong." Gajeel said in an even voice. Despite the pain and suffering the long haired mage endured, Gajeel refused to back down. "Levy belongs to Fairy Tail."

Hosea took a deep cleansing breath and gave Gajeel a forlorn look. "My apologies." He sighed, a tear streaming down his eye. "I thought that I could reason with you but it seems that I can't. Despite my giving you all of the information and telling you that her death is a good thing, you refuse to listen. It is to be expected. And so, I have no choice but to take your life. Forgive me."

Gajeel was fuming. "The one who's dying is you." He roared.

Iron scales up, Gajeel charged at Hosea. Hosea, meanwhile, put his hands together and prayed.

_Oh, Lanigami-sama, send forth thy spear to strike down the recusant with the weapon that pierces even the divine._

Light shone in Hosea's hands. He pulled them apart and it formed a spear.

**LANCE OF LONGINUS **

Hosea threw the lance straight at Gajeel. It launched from the priest's hands with such speed that Gajeel was unable to react. It destroyed Gajeel's iron scales like it was nothing and easily pierced his heart.

Gajeel's eyes widened. He felt no pain when the lanced hit him, just this loud ringing sound. A weak cough escaped his mouth. The force of the attack threw Gajeel back very far until he hit a tree with the lance sticking him in place.

Lily saw what happened but he couldn't believe it. It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Gajeel, dead? No, those two words didn't belong in the same sentence. This man was on par with many of the S-class mages. He's defeated giant mechanical dragons, dark guilds, other Dragon Slayers. The very idea that Gajeel could be defeated when he could fight Natsu Dragneel to a standstill was absolutely ludicrous.

"Gajeel." Lily shouted. "Gajeel, get up. GAJEEL."

There was no way he could die here. But his eyes weren't deceiving him. Gajeel Redfox had died.

Hosea started crying a bit. "So your name is Gajeel." He sighed morosely. "I shall remember your name for the rest of my life. May you find peace in Lanigami-sama's bosom."

The priest then turned to Lily, who was still holding an unconscious Levy in his arms. "Please, Fairy Tail cat. Hand Miss McGarden over to me."

Lily gave Hosea a hard look. "No."

Hosea used his sword as a crutch as he walked over to the black Exceed. "My heart is already pained by taking your friend's life. Please do not add to my grief. Just hand her over and the world will be saved."

"The answer is still no." Lily told him.

"Why?" Hosea asked.

"Gajeel asks so little of me." Lily admitted. "He's the kind of guy who has to do everything by himself. So for him to ask for my help is big. He asked me to protect Levy. He gave his life trying to save her. How could I disrespect such a request from my friend? If I die without saving Levy, I'd never be able to look Gajeel in the face when I see him in the afterlife."

Hosea looked very sad. "So you are choosing death to protect the one person who can save the world with her sacrifice."

Lily shook his head. "No. I'm not choosing death." He said, brandishing his weapon at Hosea. "I'm saving her. That is the only way to honor my friend's last wishes."

Hosea sighed. Then he looked at the heavens. "Oh Lanigami-sama, the trials you put me on." Tears ran down the priest's face. "You pit me against two honorable men in order for you to save the world. Is this a test of my faith?"

Hosea prepared his sword and pointed it at Lily. "Do not worry. I shall make your death quick."

Lily took up his battle stance. He waited for Hosea to come to him. But before the priest could take another step, the black Exceed saw something in the air above Hosea.

"Rrrraaghhh."

Hosea looked up and saw the glint of a sword coming down on him. He moved as quickly as he could out of the sword's way but his left arm was sliced off cleanly. The sword was swung again at the priest's head but Hosea blocked with his own weapon. However, the force of the attack was so great that the priest was thrown back considerably. Hosea fell to the ground in pain.

Lily could only gasp as he traced the sword back to the person who was wielding it. It was the last person he expected to see.

"Gajeel." Pantherlily gasped.

It really was Gajeel. He was breathing heavily. He had gashes and wounds all over his body. But it was really him.

Lily immediately looked at the place where he saw Gajeel die. Surprisingly, Gajeel was still there with the lance in his chest.

"I don't understand." Lily asked, befuddled by the two Gajeels.

"To think that I would have to use a trick from the Stripper." Gajeel spat, coughing up blood.

"A trick?" Lily mused.

Lily looked at the lanced Gajeel. Unexpectedly, that Gajeel's features started becoming less defined and more metallic until all that was there was a lump of iron that disintegrated along with the lance.

Lily had seen this before. Gray had used a similar trick in the Grand Magic Games. It used the same principles as the Ice Clone, except with iron.

"An Iron Clone." Lily realized. The black Exceed was surprised. Gajeel wasn't one for strategy. He was more of a direct approach kind of guy, facing his enemy head on. For him to use subterfuge...

Hosea groaned in agony. His arm was severed, his body was racked with pain, and he was losing blood quickly. The priest knew he wasn't long for this world. Using his remaining hand and what little magic he had, Hosea grabbed his bloodied stump and cauterized his wound.

With great difficulty, Hosea got to his feet. His back was hunched. His breath was heavy. His sight was fading. However, his will was still strong.

"Lanigami-sama, I have yet to lose faith. I am still here." Hosea groaned.

Gajeel and Lily turned towards Hosea.

"Not fucking possible." Gajeel roared. "You should be dead."

"My faith keeps me alive." Hosea breathed heavily. "My faith keeps me going."

Hosea suddenly dropped to his knees. He started to pray. "Oh Lanigami-sama, my time on this earth is slowly reaching its end. But I am so close. I cannot die yet. Miss McGarden has yet to become sublime." Tears started welling in his eyes. "Please, I beg of you, give me strength one last time. Give me the strength to finish what I have started. Please give me the strength to save the righteous. Please."

Hosea's body started glowing with a pale light. It started getting brighter and brighter until it glowed like the sun, forcing Gajeel and Lily to shield their eyes.

"What the fuck?" Gajeel growled.

"Oh Lanigami-sama, thank you." Hosea sighed as power coursed through him. The power within him made him levitate. "Thank you for giving me the strength I need to save the righteous, even these two who fight against salvation."

Gajeel roared and charged the priest but the power violently whipped the air around them, keeping him in place.

"Blessed be thee, Lanigami-sama." Hosea praised his god. "Blessed be thee. You have given me the strength to save the world."

"I'll kill you, you fuck." Gajeel roared. "I'll fucking kill you."

"No, Gajeel." Hosea told him with a beatific smile. "I'll save you, you and your feline friend. This is my last spell. It will erase us all and bring us into the bosom of Lanigami-sama. Fear not death, my friend. We shall be saved yet."

Gajeel prepared himself for the worst.

_Brilliant vanguard of the heavens, thy roar echoes throughout the universe. Cry havoc and with thy wrath, lead my enemies to their doom. For I am the one who stands in the full light of the heavens. I command thee, open the gates to hell. Come forth, divine lightning._

**INDIGNATION**

A giant cloud of darkness started forming above them. Gajeel heard peals of thunder above them. He knew that it was going to be a lightning attack, a very large one. Looking at the cloud, Gajeel saw how large it was going to be. It was enough to engulf all three of them and Hosea in the attack.

Without a second thought, Gajeel turned his right arm into an iron pole. He planned to redirect the lightning towards him and away from Levy and Lily.

The huge lightning spell came down hard on Gajeel, engulfing him completely. Gajeel cried out in agony. Every part of his body hurt. The electricity surged through him. It hurt. Everything hurt.

The pain was immense. Every time he gave in to the pain, the Indignation spell grew larger. But the more he endured it, the smaller it became. As long as Gajeel kept the spell focused on him, it wouldn't reach Levy.

"I won't let it reach Levy." Gajeel roared. "I won't. I swear it on my pride as a Dragon Slayer and a Fairy Tail mage. I'll save her. I'll save her. I'll save her."

The Indignation spell kept ripping through Gajeel's body but Gajeel endured it. It was for Levy. It was all for Levy. This was his penance and if he were to die here, it would be worth it to save Levy.

And then the spell was finished. Indignation was done. Gajeel dropped to his knees. He hurt everywhere. His bones were broken. His magic reserves were exhausted. His skin had burns all over his body. But he had survived.

Hosea dropped to the ground. His magic was exhausted as well. He had nothing left. The dome covering all of them dissipated with it.

"Impossible. This is impossible." Hosea groaned. "How...?"

That's when Hosea saw it. Gajeel was standing over him. He was munching on a sword. For the first time in their meeting, Hosea was afraid. This man was a monster and he was grinning like a sadistic demon.

"I am going to make you suffer." Gajeel chuckled darkly. "You will not die easy. I'm going to make sure of it."

Hosea shook in fear.

"You know, back in the day, I used to play a game with people like you." Gajeel whispered maliciously, bearing his fangs. "I used to start hacking off body parts bit by bit to see how long they last. My personal best is 42 hours. Let's see how long you last."

Hosea's eyes widened. This man was a monster, a **nightmare**.

"Gajeel." Lily yelled. "Leave him alone. We need to get medical attention for Levy. She needs to see Wendy or a doctor."

Gajeel stared hard at Hosea. He was deciding what to do. The Iron Dragon Slayer sighed. Lily was right. Levy was more important than this bastard. She would always more important. Gajeel walked away from Hosea. It didn't really matter. The man was going to die anyways.

Hosea coughed up some blood. "Do you know what you have just done?" Hosea groaned. "Do you know what you have just given up? I offered you paradise. You chose destruction. Why? Why would you let this world be reduced to ashes? How many people will die? You think I enjoyed killing people? Do you think I enjoy hurting people? But this must be done. What is one life compared to all of the others? If Miss McGarden becomes sublime, the world can be saved."

Gajeel's sword arm extended and pierced Hosea's lung.

"Shut up." Gajeel whispered gruffly. "You don't know anything. You think you can sell me on the world? The world took the only thing that mattered to me. It took Metalicana from me. I hated the world. I took out my hate out on everyone. It didn't matter who took my hate, just as long as they suffered."

Hosea groaned as Gajeel twisted the blade a little. Gajeel turned to Levy.

"Levy, I did horrible things to Levy." Gajeel told him, remorse in his voice. "I hurt her. I broke her. She has every right to hate me." Gajeel chuckled. "But she doesn't. She forgave me. She became my friend. And for some strange reason I'll never understand, she fell in love with me."

"What?" Hosea coughed.

"I hated the world." Gajeel told Hosea. "I still do. If this world were to burn to ashes, I wouldn't care. But Levy...Levy is good. She is everything good in the world. I don't know much but I know that she deserves to live...in Fairy Tail."

"But..." Hosea whimpered.

Gajeel turned to Hosea, his red eyes flaring. "I honestly don't care about you." He told the priest. "I don't care about your stupid club. I don't care about these other girls. And if you hadn't touch Levy, I wouldn't have stopped you."

Gajeel gave Hosea his most menacing glare. "But the reason I am killing you now is because you had the fucking balls to take away the only good thing in my life." With that, Gajeel withdrew the blade from Hosea's chest and left him to die, suffocating on his own blood.

In that moment, Hosea saw what drove Gajeel. It wasn't rage. It wasn't justice. It wasn't even guilt. It was something else, something pure and true. In that instant, he understood why he had lost.

"Lanigami-sama." Hosea gurgled on his own blood. "Forgive me. I was not able to save the world. I was defeated by a man filed with righteous purpose. I wasn't strong enough. I failed. I am so sorry."

With that, Hosea left this mortal coil.

Gajeel stumbled over towards Lily, who was still carrying Levy in his arms. The long haired man took Levy from the black Exceed.

"Let's go." Gajeel whispered.

With that, Gajeel and Lily left the massacre.

* * *

Gajeel stumbled again, dropping to his knees. He gasped for air.

"Gajeel, let me take her." Lily, who had reverted back to his smaller form, said.

"No." Gajeel responded.

"Gajeeel." Lily said again.

"I said no." Gajeel roared.

Lily understood why Gajeel was particularly stubborn about carrying Levy. He wasn't happy though. "Fine." Lily sighed. "But if you fall again, I will take Levy from you and carry her myself."

The Iron Dragon Slayer grunted, the closest thing Lily was going to get to a thank you.

Gajeel got back on his feet and walked again. He could feel Levy's body heat and her weight in his arms. Those were the things that kept him going. He had to keep going. Even though every step felt like agony, Gajeel pressed forward. He wasn't done yet. He still had to bring her back to Fairy Tail.

"Gajeel." A voice in his arms whispered.

Gajeel looked down and saw that Levy's eyes were half open. "Hey, Short Stack." He grunted. "You okay?"

Levy exhaled a sharp breath. "My stomach hurts." She told him.

"Yeah, a knife to the stomach will do that." Gajeel told her.

Levy really looked at Gajeel and saw the bruises, gashes and blood. "You're hurt." She whispered.

"Been hurt worse." Gajeel responded, though that was a lie. He had never hurt more than he did now.

"You're bleeding." Levy replied.

"Most of this isn't my blood." Gajeel admitted.

Levy didn't know what to say at this admission.

"Don't worry. They are all dead. " Gajeel told her.

"Gajeel." Levy sighed. Then she started to cry. All of the tension that she felt during her capture just rushed out of her. All she could do was cry. "I'm sorry." She whimpered. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Gajeel told her. "Don't worry about it.

Levy sighed. "When I thought I was going to die, all I could think about was all of the friends I wouldn't get to see again. And the last person I thought of was you."

Gajeel said nothing. He just let Levy speak.

"And when I thought of you, I regretted how we left things." Levy continued.

Gajeel looked away. "You don't have to apologize for that, Levy."

"Let me finish, Gajeel." Levy asked. "I was being selfish that day. When I confessed to you, I never thought about your feelings. And then I said that I hated you. I never really meant that. I never meant to hurt you. I'm so sorry."

Gajeel was silent for a spell. Then he spoke. "I never held it against you." He told her.

The both of them were silent.

"You still have feelings for me, don't you." Gajeel's question was more of a statement.

"Yeah." Levy whispered.

"I did mean what I said before." Gajeel told Levy. "I don't deserve you. I've got blood on my hands. You should find someone..."

Levy put her hand on Gajeel's cheek, effectively stopping him. "It doesn't matter whether or not you think you deserve me. I don't care that you have blood on your hands. My feelings aren't going to change."

"That's kinda stupid." Gajeel snorted quietly.

"Then I guess I'm stupid." Levy joked back.

Gajeel gave Levy a small smile. "No." He murmured. "You aren't stupid. You are the smartest person I know. Not only that, you are kind. And you are always happy. And somehow, you forgave someone like me."

Levy smiled back.

Gajeel looked away. "Remember when I told you that there was one person who had yet to forgive me..."

Levy shook her head. "I've forgiven you, Gajeel." She told him with finality. "Learn to forgive yourself."

To Gajeel, the weight of Levy's words lifted a giant burden on his heart. For the first time in his life, he felt free. If only for a little while, he was free from what he had done to her. And though it came back soon after, that momentary freedom was like manna from heaven.

"Give me time, Levy." Gajeel answered. "I'll be a man worthy of you."

"Take all the time you need, Gajeel." Levy replied softly, her eyes closing. "In the meantime, let's just go back to being friends."

Levy drifted back into unconsciousness.

Gajeel nodded. "I'll get you back to Fairy Tail." He swore.

Gajeel kept trudging along.

* * *

By the time Gajeel reached the guild, he was running on empty. Every last fiber of his being told him to stop. But the feel of Levy's weight in his arms kept him going. He was almost there.

With a mighty kick, Gajeel opened the doors to Fairy Tail.

"What the hell, Gajeel?" Natsu's voice rang out. "Everybody has been looking for you. Levy's missing and..."

There was a hush in the guild as they noticed Gajeel's state. Then they realized that he wasn't alone. They saw Levy in his arms.

Gajeel stumbled into the guild. When he was a ways in, his knees buckled. Before he fully fell on the floor, the long haired mage held out his hand to balance himself. He was breathing heavily. Many guild members then surrounded him, asking what had happened. A couple yelled for Wendy. Someone tried to get him up but he refused to move.

"Gajeel, you need medical attention." Mira told him.

"Her first." Gajeel said in a raspy voice.

Mira nodded and gently took Levy from his arms.

With that, Gajeel finally collapsed. His body was covered in gashes. His bones ached. His magic was exhausted. He was completely spent. But even so, he had a smile on his face. He had done it. Not bad for a killer.

Gajeel knew what he was. He was a killer, a murderer bathed in blood. He could live with that stigma. But if this murderer did one thing right with his miserable life, he saved Levy. He had returned Levy back where she belonged. He had saved her. And that made all the difference to a killer like him.

* * *

_Word Count: 10,032_

**Wow. That was long. This was actually even longer, about 15k words. But I cut out a third of the story which I felt wasn't really relevant to the story.**

**I came up with this story because I've always been intrigued by choice. It's what my game is based on. It's free will versus determinism. Fate versus choice. Justice versus mercy. And in this part of the game, the hero has a choice, whether to allow the sacrifice to continue and bring forth the god into the world or fight against the priest.**

**It's part of the reason why I made Hosea somewhat of a tragic figure. In Gray's story, I had him go up against a dark mage who was decidedly evil, especially when Juvia nearly sacrificed her own life to save Gray. (E is for Existence). In Lucy's story, I wanted her to be the hero instead of the damsel in distress that she usually is. (H is for Hero) In this chapter, I wanted to juxtapose Gajeel's murderous intentions against Hosea's righteous intentions. And I wanted him to be a tragic figure, someone who really believes what he's doing is right. And maybe he is right. But then again, if anyone comes between Gajeel and Levy, they have to die bloody, right?**

**The song that the cantor sings is called Tainai Tokei Toshi Orrery, which is Japanese for Internal clock municipal orrery. It comes from Revolutionary Girl Utena and it's an amazing song. You should listen to it and you should watch that anime. It is awesome. (It should be noted that I'm not a big fan of songfics but I needed something to build the tension in between Gajeel looking for Levy and Levy about to be sacrificed. The song helps. If you were confused or didn't like that, then I apologize.) The cantor's Luminoso song is from Arc Rise Fantasia. It is Imaginal's song (Lanigami spelled backwards).**

**The songs you should listen to while reading this:**

**Hallowed Beast - Chaos Rings 2**  
**Defying Gravity - Chaos Rings**  
**Combat 4 - Grandia Xtreme**  
**Now is the time for Conclusion - Arc Rise Fantasia**

**Well, that's it. Loved it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you. I really would. And not just good story but tell me what you liked or didn't like. Tell me how you felt. That would really make me happy.**

**Here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_It was here, the day Gajeel hated the most. July 7th. He planned to spend this day by himself so he can reminisce about Metalicana. However Levy found him and asked if she could spend the day together._

**This is an easy one, I think. What's the L word?**

**Well, till next time.**

**A. Angel**

**(P.S. The last chapter of Fairy Tail was awesome, right? Gajeel vs. Rogue and now the (spoiler) right?)**


	12. L is for Loneliness

**Behold, I have returned. Huzzahs are in order.**

**I have finished the presentation for the game project I've been working on. I was so freaking nervous when I was presenting it to the game company. I mean I was in the same room as some of the people who created my favorite games. And, of course, my scumbag brain didn't help because all it wanted to do was remember the lyrics to 80's tv theme songs. But I got through it. Now we have to wait and see.**

**Onto the reviews:  
**

**Ulcassi, you are correct. Pissed Gajeel is pissed. And the Iron Shadow Dragon thing? Didn't see that coming. It makes me wish I had waited a week so that I could have added it. Then I could have had a light and dark motif for that chapter. Oh well, a dream deferred...**

**Catwho, Piranha, I am so glad I'm not the only one who knows about the awesomeness of Utena. In truth, I was trying to come up with a way to tie that into my fics. And though I like that song, I really tried to fit in Wakaba's duel song which is my favorite or Juri's second duel song which is my second favorite. But I liked the death imagery in the song I finally stuck with. And also, in that chapter, I had Hosea summoning the sword in the same way that Anthy does in the anime. But I cut that because the fic was starting to get too long. **

**Anyways, I'm glad that you guys and gals loved the fight scene. It's been a while since I've done one that massive, well not that long. I did do one for NaLu and one for Gruvia. And hearing you loved this chapter made me ridiculously happy.**

**For this chapter, I wanted it quite simple. I didn't want anything extravagant so it's short and to the point. Hope you enjoy it. Finally, Hope Whitwell, Lumps45, wolfhead, akari, and Starlove get four points for getting the word.**

**And now, our feature presentation.**

* * *

**L is for Loneliness  
**

_There are people in the world that enjoy being alone, but there isn't a single person who can bear solitude. ~ Makarov Dreyar_

It was here, the day Gajeel Redfox hated more than any other.

July 7th

He hated that day because it was the day Metalicana disappeared.

Now if someone were to ask Gajeel what he thought about the Iron Dragon, he would say that he was a bastard. That was only partly true. Metalicana's training was pretty harsh, especially for a child. The dragon pretty much expected the impossible. He wanted nothing less than perfection from everything he taught Gajeel. More often than not, the young boy couldn't live up to that expectation. Failure was met with a whack of Metalicana's iron tail or a scratch from his claws. Inversely, success was met with snide remarks of how it was only good for a human.

To Gajeel, Metalicana's mind was a mystery. He could never tell what was the dragon's motivation for not only taking him in but also training him to be a Dragon Slayer. To dragons, humans are basically chickens waiting to be eaten and a scrawny little kid was a chicken nugget. Plus compared to all the other dragons he's heard stories of, Metalicana wasn't particularly social. So why did he even bother? That part remained a mystery to this day.

Gajeel's greatest dream when he was a kid was to finally receive Metalicana's approval. He wanted to show the dragon that he was great, not just great for a human. He trained hard, bulked up and practiced every day. One day, he would always tell himself, one day Metalicana would finally come around.

Then that day came, July 7th. Without a word, Metalicana disappeared. Ever since then, Gajeel hated when the calendar turned to that date.

Now each Dragon Slayer has a way of dealing with that particular date. Natsu drowned himself in activity, loudness and merriment almost to the point of obnoxiousness. The guild understood the reasoning behind this. If Natsu was distracted, then the pain of losing Igneel would hurt him less. Wendy was the opposite. Every time July 7th came along, she stayed in her room and cried. She figured that it was better to cry because she missed Grandine than to pretend that everything was alright.

Gajeel's method was quite different. Before his days in Fairy Tail, July 7th was the day he was at his cruelest. It was on this day that he committed savage acts of violence. A psychologist would say that he was lashing out because of Metalicana's abandoning him at a young age...then he would bash in the face of the psychologist. While in Phantom Lord, Master Jose would always send Gajeel on his most difficult missions on this day, figuring that the Iron Dragon Slayer would use the emotional pain as fuel to his rage so that he would complete the mission.

But when Gajeel joined Fairy Tail, everything changed. When he had learned that Salamander's dragon disappeared on the same day, Gajeel's attitude changed. Sure, the intense loneliness was still there, but at least he knew that Metalicana didn't leave because he wanted to...at least he was out there somewhere.

With this knowledge came a change to how Gajeel dealt with this specific date. Now when July 7th came around, the long haired mage secluded himself from others. It really wasn't that hard after all. Gajeel was a solitary person anyways. All he had to do was to pick up and just go. While he secluded himself, Gajeel started to think about many things. He thought about how his life turned out and how his life changed when he joined Fairy Tail.

This was his ritual for that day.

* * *

On one particular July 7th, Gajeel was sitting against a tree in one of the more secluded parts of Magnolia Park. He was in contemplation when he noticed a familiar scent wafted in front of his nose.

So she followed him here. His girlfriend for two years was standing right outside of his sight. But why was she here, he wondered. And more importantly, why wasn't she approaching him?

"Come here, Levy." Gajeel said.

Levy stepped into his view. Gajeel noticed that she had a somber look on face. It was an odd look for her. Levy was usually so bubbly that the thought of anything other than a smile made her look so different.

"What's with you?" He asked gruffly.

Levy had long since learned not to be offended by his tone. "I was looking for you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Gajeel looked confused. "Why?" He asked.

"I wanted to know if you needed anything." Levy said softly. "Anything at all."

Gajeel's metal brows furrowed, not understanding her. The petite woman figured that she needed to clarify what she meant.

"Because of what today is." The last part was so faint that if Gajeel didn't have enhanced senses, he would have missed it.

Now Gajeel understood. Levy was worried about him but she didn't know how to broach this topic with him.

"Sit down, Levy." He said, patting the ground next to him. With a bit of hesitation, Levy walked over to him and sat down.

There was a heavy silence hanging over them. It was almost stifling. Gajeel knew that Levy wanted to say something but she didn't know what words to use. In any other situation, he would have found that amusing, considering that his woman was usually so loquacious.

"Listen, I know you're itching to say something." Gajeel said. "Just spit it out and say it. I can take it." He knew that what he said was very rude but today wasn't a day he wanted to pussyfoot around issues.

Levy shook her head, her blue tresses fluttering in the breeze. "If I ask, will you answer?" She asked him. "I don't have a way of asking you without trampling on your feelings. But I can wait. I can wait until you are ready to tell me."

Gajeel looked at Levy with wide eyes. "Levy." He gasped.

"I am here." She reassured Gajeel with a smile. "Whenever you want to talk about him, know that I am here. I want to know everything about you, even the dark parts."

Gajeel could look any more shocked than he was already. But then, he averted his gaze. "There's just some parts of me that I don't want you knowing." He admitted. "I've done things...terrible things. I just..."

Gajeel's voice made a full stop when he felt Levy's hand gently touching his cheek. He could only look on wide eyed as she kneeled in front of him. "I know that you've done stuff that you aren't proud of in the past." She answered softly. "But I also know the person you are now. I've seen the change first hand."

"There are just some things that are better left unsaid." Gajeel told her, turning away again.

This time, Levy put her tiny hands on Gajeel's chin so that he would look her in her eyes. "I'm not asking for everything right now." Levy spoke in a low voice, her breath ghosting over his lips. "But just as you know about my past, I want to know about yours."

Gajeel saw the look in Levy's eyes. It was hard to pin that look down in one word or even two or three. But that look could strike him dead cold and that same look can make him feel clear to the core. He always wondered how she could do that.

In times like these, Gajeel often wondered how this small slip of a girl could hold such power over him. He broke Levy quite easily in their first meeting. But now, the tables have turned. Now she was the one who could break him easily just by withholding her love. Not that she ever has, but Levy's love has now become a driving force behind his actions. He would lasso the fucking moon if it would bring a smile to her face. He would conquer entire nations just for a kiss. There was nothing he wouldn't do for Levy. If it would make her happy to hear about Metalicana, then so be it.

Gajeel huffed very loudly. "Fine, short stack." He relented. "You want to know about Metalicana, I'll tell you. I'll tell you till your ears bleed."

Levy chuckled lightly and sat down against Gajeel's chest. The Iron Dragon Slayer started telling her about that old bastard. He told her how Metalicana worked him to the bone, teaching him about Dragon Slayer magic, toughening him up and making him stronger. He told her of all the time he always put him down in such a way that made him want to strive harder to prove him wrong. Levy just listened to his every word, only giving her input whenever the long haired man asked. Gajeel told almost everything about him. There were some moments that he would rather keep to himself, if only because they were rather personal to him.

Gajeel found it rather odd. The more he told Levy about Metalicana, the lighter his heart felt. It was as if the pain that he usually associated with the dragon slowly disappeared. Well, it just didn't disappear. It was being replaced, replaced by Levy. Yes, he loved her. Yes, he would do anything for her. But it was in that moment, that Levy McGarden became his number one.

From this moment on, it wouldn't matter if he never saw Metalicana again. Of course, if he did see the Iron Dragon, he would like to challenge him to show that old bastard how strong he had become. But finding him was no longer important. He would no longer seek him. He would no longer reminiscence about him. He wouldn't even ask why. That part of his life was done. From hereon in, he would live only for Levy.

And that led him to what is perhaps his scariest thought. What would happen if Levy left him just like Metalicana did? What if she didn't want to be with anymore or worse yet, what if she died?

Gajeel stopped his train of thought to stare down at his girlfriend's petite form. He could feel her heat, the heat that he loved so much. He could hear her even breathing. So she fell asleep, he figured. That made the Iron Dragon Slayer smile. Gajeel traced her jaw line ever so gently with his rough hands.

God, he loved her. Gajeel loved being with Levy. He loved holding her. He loved kissing her. He loved their intimate moments. He loved everything about her. And that's why Gajeel was scared. Now that he had her, he didn't want to let her go. He didn't want to be lonely anymore.

Gajeel knew about impermanence. He knew that eventually he would lose everyone in his life. That's just the way of the world. But he could handle it. He could learn to live without the master who gave him a new home and renewed purpose. He could learn to live without the guild that had his back in a fight. And even though it would be hard, Gajeel could learn to live without Lily, who was his best friend despite his attitude. But try as he might, he couldn't come up with a way to live without Levy.

That was Gajeel's latest fear. But he would never tell Levy. He would never burden her with that. That would be the one thing that he would keep in his heart forever.

Gajeel held onto Levy a little tighter. She responded unconsciously by snuggling closer into his body. But her breathing didn't change and she didn't wake. That was fine.

"Levy." He whispered throatily. "I love you, Levy...more than you'll ever know. You mean more to me than anything in the world, not the guild, not the master, not Lily, not even Metalicana. No one makes me feel the way you do. You make me feel like a new man."

Gajeel gently rubbed Levy's forearms. "You saved me. You changed me." He whispered, not expecting a response. "And I can't think of a life without you because it hurts so much."

The long haired mage leaned his head back against the tree and sighed. "No one has ever loved me like you do. I was always a monster. But somehow, you saw past that. You saw past the monster and see something that some days, I can't even find. You see a man that's worthy of your love."

For some reason Gajeel couldn't explain, his heart started unloading all the words he would never say to Levy's face. And once he started, he couldn't stop.

"I would never say this to you, but I'm afraid." Gajeel said. "I'm afraid that one day, you'll see how worthless my love is and you'll find someone better than me. Or maybe you will die or something. Nothing in this world lasts forever. I know that. The sad truth is, I know that the day will come when you'll leave me."

The Iron Dragon Slayer closed his eyes shut, as if the next words he was going to say were particularly painful. "But even so, don't leave me, Levy. Don't ever leave me. I don't want to be alone anymore."

With that, Gajeel decided to join his Levy in sleep. So he closed his eyes and felt himself drifting away. Within moments, he was fast asleep.

What Gajeel didn't realize was that Levy wasn't asleep. She heard him and his every word. And each word was like a stab in the gut. She wondered how she did not see his fears about their relationship. In the almost two years that they've been together, Levy did not know this. How could she not when it was clear as day now.

The worst part about this was that Levy didn't know what to say. Here he was, pouring out his heart, and she said nothing. What could she say? How could she convince Gajeel that she was in it for the long haul, that she would never leave him? She didn't know. But one day, the petite woman would find the words she needed to allay his fears. So for now, all she could do is give him some small comforts.

Levy pushed her body even closer to Gajeel. With his powerful frame protecting her, his metallic smell enveloping her and his body heat radiating, Levy fell asleep against him, all the while thinking about the right words to make Gajeel's fears of loneliness go away.

* * *

_Word Count: 2,449_

**You are probably wondering why the chapter ended the way that it did. Well, this chapter is the prequel to E is for Ephemeral. And anyways, I would imagine that Gajeel would never willingly tell Levy about his fears. So when he drops that bombshell on her, I would imagine that she wouldn't know what to say at first. But afterwards, she would collect her thoughts and give him the comfort he needs.**

**And I don't understand why it is that I keep coming back to angst. So far, I have had only two fluff stories with Gajeel and Levy. The rest was just so heavy. Perhaps because I find it is easier to write heavy with these two than it is with any other FT couple. Natsu and Lucy, to me, are quite the opposite. I find that it's harder to write heavy stuff than it is to write fluff. But then again, it's because Gajeel and Levy are so multidimensional that they have become my number 2 pairing in FT. (Number one is always going to be Gruvia.) Do not worry. There will be fluff. I promise.**

**Anyways, love it? Hate it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you. And here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_Every animal seeks a partner with whom to settle. A Dragon Slayer is no different. There's just this attraction that goes beyond instinct and reasoning that helps them find the one person that they are destined to be with. Gajeel knew that his match was Levy. All there was left to do is propose._

**Any idea what the M word is? I'll give you a hint. It's a word that gets thrown around a lot when it comes to Dragon Slayers' and their loves.**

**Till next time,**

**A. Angel**


	13. M is for Mate

**Yay. I did it. I've gotten halfway through the project. Drinks are on me.**

**Oh this has been a very good week for me. My daughter, who is named after my girlfriend's favorite manga character, just said her first words. The first word, dada. That's right. Daddy's number 1. She also started trying to walk. And when she fell for the first time, she didn't cry or anything. She just got up and tried again. You have no idea how ridiculously happy I am.**

**Another reason I am happy is because of a particular person. I want to give a shoutout to piranha-pk who is currently doing a doujinshi of my "K is for Killer" fic. She's already at page three and it's awesome. I'll leave links in my profile for those who wish to see it. I thoroughly recommend it.**

**Now to the reviews.**

**Ulcassi, poki, I know Gajeel and Levy are more angsty than other couples. But I promise that the next two chapters will be a bit more fluffy. I mean, they have to have their moments, right?**

**nagini, PhoenixBear, that's part of the reason I think Gajeel wouldn't want to tell Levy about his worries. But I'm sure that another part of it is that he doesn't want to worry her about it. He wants her to be happy with him, even if it means bottling up his emotion.**

**hopelessroman, go ahead. You can squeal. And my girlfriend isn't bothered by it either. She thinks it's amusing that I would get this much attention for something that wouldn't have gotten far without her as an encourager. In fact, she had sat me at the computer many times and rapped my knuckles with a ruler if I didn't do a page and a half before bed. She's a slave driver when it comes to these things but I love that woman.**

**Princess Auna, you spent a whole night reading my story? That's a bit weird. Then again, I've done the same thing so thanks. You are right. I do have the words all written out on a spreadsheet. I also have all of the ideas too. I have some fluff stuff ready and some romance as well. But I also do have other ideas that don't fit any of the words. If I do have a good idea, then I'll put it as a one shot like I did with The Terrifying Power. (By the way, thanks to all who read and reviewed it.)**

**And to everyone else who reviewed and/or read it, thanks. These reviews really keep me going. Can you believe I'm almost at 350? The entire project is at 1100 reviews, much more than I had ever anticipated.  
**

**Anyways, to the main event. This gave me more trouble than I had thought it would. I had the idea in my head with this word but every time I tried to convey the idea with words, it wouldn't work. Then I had a conversation with another fic writer about the subject who agreed with me about the usage of this word in FT fics. That helped me get started. It took me about ten tries to get it right. Hopefully I did. So let's begin. Miss Rune, Ulcassi, darkchoco, Universal, poki, Akari, FoxRay, twinslayer, piranha, SakuraIchigo, Catwho, StarLove, nagini, Xeylah, zvc, Nadeshiko, oni to neko, Natsumi, Psychotic, neko-chan, Phoenix, hcs, Margot-Eve, Rowen, Liliana, Coco's, Bladre, fairywings, Doomed, Auna, and kraziness get two points for getting it right.**

**Now our feature presentation**

* * *

**M is for Mate  
**

_Yes, it was love at first sight. I feel that after all these years, I have finally found my soul mate. ~ Barbara Hershey_

In nature, all creatures have a drive to mate so that their genetics get passed on to the next generation. Just like the drive to eat and the drive to survive, this is instinctual. From the lowest of cells to the mammoth blue whales, the symphony of life drives them all. Even the mighty dragons aren't immune to this drive. Millennia ago, long before they evolved with the ability of speech and reason, it is said that male dragons found prospective mates by scent. When they do find one, they mate for life, never leaving their side even after death.

Now it is said that Dragons Slayers, being the children of dragons, follow the same pattern by finding a prospective mate by scent, mating with them and staying with them for the rest of their lives. That is categorically false. Dragon Slayers are not dragons. They are humans and humans are children of reason, not instinct.

Humans who wish to become Dragon Slayers must find a dragon willing to imbue their power to them. Then they must endure seven days of that dragon breathing their life force into them. This breath transforms the cellular structure in a human's body, increasing the longevity of cells, enhancing senses and musculature and giving a human the ability to consume the element of that dragon, among other things, at the cost of causing extreme motion sickness in the individual. The process itself is rather dangerous and many do not survive. The few that do become at least ten times stronger than the average person. But that's where the dragon-like traits end.

It is natural to assume that Dragon Slayers seek mates out like dragons themselves do. After all, the majority of humans have never met a Dragon Slayer in person. Therefore, they assume that because dragons mate for life, Dragon Slayers must be the same as well. Like all rumors, there is some truth in this reasoning. Dragon Slayers tend to have an extremely loyal streak. They would have to be in order to trust a dragon not to eat them. This fierce loyalty is nurtured by the dragon who teaches them to be true in whatever they do. That's why many Dragon Slayers, should they get married, tend to stay with the person they eventually marry and never stray. But it isn't like it's a drive, like something is compelling them. Therefore, loyalty to a person should not be confused with mating instinct.

The reason why Dragon Slayers tend to settle with one person is more simple than that. It has to do with the events of July 7th, X777. When the dragons disappeared, those children lost the closest thing they had to parents. Just like orphaned children, they cling to the first person who showed them love and affection. Natsu had Fairy Tail. Wendy had Edo-Jellal, Carla, and Cait Shelter. The relationships they had was able to blunt some of the pain they had after they lost Igneel and Grandeeney respectively.

Gajeel had no one. After Metalicana disappeared, the pain in his heart started to fester. He started thinking "I don't want to be attached to anyone if this is the pain I feel." His lashing out at innocents was his way of expressing his feelings towards his abandonment. Over time, it became habit. No one escaped his wrath. Men, women, children, all were fair game for the Iron Dragon Slayer. Even the woman who he would one day love experienced his wrath. He was a badass with a mean streak to match.

But then something changed in his heart. And now, more than two and a half years later (not counting the seven years that he lost), Gajeel knew exactly when it changed. It was the day he had protected Levy from Laxus's errant bolt. When he thought about it at the time, it was odd. There were many ways he could have saved her from Laxus's attack. He could have pushed her out of the way. He could have attacked Laxus before the attack. But he chose to take the hit for her. He figured he wanted to show her that even someone like him could change, that he'd endure whatever they threw at him just so they wouldn't view him as a monster.

And when Gajeel had volunteered himself to be Levy's partner for the S-class promotion, part of it was that he wanted to kick Natsu's ass. But then again, he could have be the drunk woman's partner or what's-his-face's partner (that guy who became partnered with Wendy). So why did he choose Levy in the end? Well, the reason at the time was to make Levy big. But now, he knew the real reason why. Gajeel broke Levy once. He wanted to build her up again, stronger than she was before.

What the Iron Dragon Slayer didn't realize was that _he_ was the one being rebuilt. The entire week he spent with Levy was changing Gajeel, changing him in ways he had never thought he could. Seeing the shrimp in action made his chest feel weird. He felt kinda happy training her to be stronger. Most of the time, she was dirtied, sweaty and, on occasion, bloodied. Still she had a smile on his face.

That smile... that smile... even now, many years later, Gajeel could identify that moment when she smiled at him, of all people, as the moment he started feeling something towards her.

But then Gajeel remembered their first meeting. When he did, he felt guilty having these feelings. He didn't deserve to have any feelings towards her, especially romantic ones. He was a monster and monsters don't deserve love.

But Levy brushed past all of that. She didn't care about how they met. She didn't care that Gajeel didn't feel as though he deserved her love. She didn't care about the things he had done in the past. She loved him, baggage and all. Her love for him, as dumb as it may sound to the Iron Dragon Slayer, transformed him, made him a new man. She forgave him for who he was and loved him for who he became.

And Gajeel loved her...so much that he can't imagine a life without her. And if all goes according to plan, he'll never have to...

* * *

Gajeel was in a secluded field by himself. It was very tranquil which was good because he needed quiet for what he was about to do. It was peculiar. The Iron Dragon Slayer was somewhat anxious. He kept taking deep breaths to calm himself. And for some reason, he kept looking over his shoulder. It was strange. He had stared down dragons and demons before. He took down a priest with the power of his god backing him. And yet, he was nervous. But then again, considering what he was thinking about, it should be no surprise. That's because he was thinking about asking Levy to marry him.

Yes, after two and a half years of dating the most wonderful woman in the world, Gajeel Redfox was ready to take the plunge and ask for Levy's hand in marriage. And it has been an amazing two and a half years. Who would have thought that a woman, any woman, could be in love with him, much less someone whom he had brutalized? Whenever he was with Levy, he felt like a new man. To her, it didn't matter that he had killed so many people. It didn't matter that he had a gruff, abrasive personality. Levy loved him just the way she was.

Gajeel loved everything about Levy. He loved that she was short enough to tower over her. That way, he could look very menacing whenever anyone even looked in her direction. He loved the way that her tongue would stick out whenever she was trying to decipher a particular rune. He loved her scent, peaches and musty books. That scent drove Gajeel wild. He loved the way how she always had a smile for him whenever he felt shitty. He loved the way that she would tackle and kiss him after a long mission. He loved their passionate nights together (even though they didn't actually have sex). Basically, he loved everything about her.

It was peculiar. Gajeel had Levy in every sense of the word. He had her laughter, her smiles her touches, her hugs, her kisses, her heart, her everything... And yet, the long haired man wanted more. He wanted her first time. He wanted her to be pregnant with their children. He wanted their little children filling their home with their pounding footsteps. He wanted to live a long and happy life with her and their children. He wanted to grow old with her. Hell, as fruity as it sounded, he wanted to entwine her soul with his. And the only way that would happen was if he asked her to marry him.

But what if Levy said no? What if asking her now was way too soon? If Gajeel did ask her and she said no, what would happen between them? Would they go back to be boyfriend and girlfriend? Would she be so repulsed that she would leave him?

Gajeel shook his head. Levy was way too kind to reject him like that. He knew that now. It may have taken two or so years but he finally got it. Levy wasn't leaving him. But it still may be too early to ask for her hand in marriage. I mean, Gray and Juvia were well into their third year together and the ice mage hadn't taken the plunge. Natsu and Lucy had two more months of dating on them and the Fire Dragon Slayer didn't pop the question. So the Iron Dragon Slayer was a bit hesitant about this.

Well, there's only one way to find out. Better practice what he was going to say.

* * *

Levy woke up in her shared bed with Gajeel, missing her lover's warmth. She stretched her limbs and got out of bed, looking for her Iron Dragon Slayer.

"Gajeel." She called out. However, the blue haired woman received no answer.

Levy looked around the house but didn't find Gajeel. It was odd. Her lover always got her up before any mission he would undertake without her to say goodbye. The fact that he didn't was unusual. Perhaps her long haired boyfriend was at the guild. With that thought in mind, Levy got dressed and headed to Fairy Tail.

* * *

When the Solid Script mage entered Fairy Tail, her eyes scanned for her lover. However, a cursory glance of the guild showed no Gajeel. A slight frowned marred her pretty face. Maybe one of the guild members knew where he was.

Levy found Mira serving drinks behind the bar. She walked up to the barmaid.

"Good morning, Mira." She greeted.

"Good morning, Levy." Mira replied with a smile.

"Have you seen Gajeel?" The blue haired woman asked.

Mira shook her head. "Not really." She replied. "But Lily is around here somewhere."

Levy smirked. Why hadn't she thought about finding Lily? "Alright, I'll search for him."

Levy looked for Gajeel's Exceed partner and found him eating fish at one of the tables with Happy and Carla. She walked up to Lily.

"Good morning, Lily." Levy greeted. "Have you seen Gajeel?"

Lily turned around and saw the visage of his friend's girlfriend. He smiled cordially. "Yes, he went to a field outside the city."

Levy was a bit confused. "Why?"

"I thought it was to train." Lily explained. "But when I asked go with him, he said no. I wonder why."

The Solid Script mage nodded. "Okay. I'll go look for him."

With that, Levy went to search for him.

* * *

Gajeel paced about in the forest. He was thinking about what he needed to say to convey how he felt about the wonderful Solid Script mage who gave him purpose and light. He took a deep breath and...

"Wanna get hitched?" He asked aloud.

Gajeel shook his head.

"That's stupid." Gajeel muttered to himself. He paced around some more.

"Hey Levy." He began again. "I've been thinking... why don't we get married. That way..."

Gajeel growled. "That's not good either."

The Iron Dragon Slayer continued to go through what he should say to Levy, ignorant of the person approaching him.

* * *

Levy found Gajeel after a couple of minutes of searching. She watched as he paced around, muttering to himself. Gajeel had never done that before. It was also strange that Gajeel didn't know she was here. The Iron Dragon Slayer could always tell whenever she was around due to her unique scent. And it wasn't as if Levy hadn't done anything to hide her being here. So whatever he was doing must have been really important if he didn't realize she was behind him. So the Solid Script mage decided to get in closer so she could hear what he was saying.

Gajeel went through ten or twenty lines while he remained unaware of his audience. He took another cleansing breath and...

"Levy." Gajeel began

The woman in question cocked her head. Was Gajeel finally aware of her presence?

"The first time we met, well, it wasn't under the best circumstances." Gajeel said to himself, not knowing that Levy could hear him too. "I was an asshole before I met you. I didn't care about anyone or anything. And you, well, you were just some midget blue haired fairy."

Levy puffed her cheeks in annoyance at Gajeel's description. Did he even know that she was standing behind him?

"I broke you." He spat, as if the words themselves burned him. "I was the one who clipped your wings. At the time, I was pretty proud of myself for doing it. But now, I am disgusted. How could I have done that to you? You didn't deserve it. You didn't deserve any of it."

Levy smiled sadly. Their first meeting... Granted, not the stuff romance novels are made of... There were days where she wish she could erase that. But she realized long ago that for all the happiness that Gajeel gave to her now, one night of awful pain was well worth the trade.

"You had every right to hate me." Gajeel sighed to himself. "But as small you are in body, you have a very big heart. And that heart was able to forgive me, me of all people. I'll never understand that but I'm grateful for it."

Levy's eyes dropped to half mast as she smiled. Gajeel still couldn't believe that she had forgiven him? Is it really hard to understand that she isn't a spiteful person and that Gajeel had already earned her forgiveness the day he saved her from Laxus's thunderbolt?

"I didn't realize it at the time but you were breaking me down, the old me." He continued, still not aware of his unintended audience. "Every look, every word, every smile shattered the old me and, in its place, is a man that some days, I can't even recognize. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you... just, you know. I've become something more than just a killer. I'm ... I don't know..."

Levy smirked. It's just like Gajeel to say what he feels in his heart when he thinks no one is listening.

"You're my reason for redemption, my light in deepest darkness." Gajeel smiled to himself, unloading his heart without even realizing it. "You made me into a new man. I am a better person with you in my life. You are the best thing that has ever happened in my shitty life and I am so grateful for it."

Levy couldn't help the tears that fell from her eyes. She probably should have stopped Gajeel to tell her lover that she heard everything but she couldn't find the will to move from that spot.

"You've made me happy, happier than I can ever remember being." Gajeel continued. "And I want to make you happy. I want to make you happy for the rest of your life." The Iron Dragon Slayer scratched the ground where he was standing. "I guess what I'm trying to say..."

Gajeel growled. Why won't the words come out? It was like the back of his mind was trying to tell him something. What could it be? He shook his head. No use thinking about it.

"I'm asking if you would become my wife." Gajeel announced to the supposedly empty forest.

This time, Levy couldn't help both the blush and the squeak that escaped her lips

Gajeel heard the squeak and turned around, prepared to attack the person who dared to hear those words. Imagine his surprise when he saw the petite form of his girlfriend with her hands over her mouth, a fiery blush on her face and tears in her eyes.

At once, every last thought decided that it was now time to leave him. His mouth dropped and his words stopped. All Gajeel saw was the beautiful form of his girlfriend, the one he wanted to marry, standing in front of him. He wondered how much of it Levy heard so he went on the assumption that she heard everything.

Gajeel wasn't ready. He wasn't mentally ready to propose. I mean, he had just gotten the words out. There was so much to do, things to prepare. Sadly, Gajeel's body wasn't agreeing with his brain. Before he knew it, he was dropped to one knee. In any other situation, the long haired mage would have commented on the fact that now they were now the same height. But this was serious. This was more serious than anything else he had ever done.

"Marry me."

Gajeel kicked himself mentally. His words sounded like a command one would say to a dog than asking the person he loved to become his wife. But there it was.

Well, since he had gone this far, Gajeel closed his fist and, with his Iron Dragon Slayer magic, created an iron ring specifically made for her finger.

The long haired man felt like he was holding his breath for an answer. He couldn't get a read on Levy's expression since it seemed stuck on that blush and those tears. It felt like an eternity waiting for her to respond. What was going on her mind?

Levy took Gajeel's hand, the one that held the ring he made.

"Yes." She said simply, happy tears in her eyes. "Of course I will."

Now Gajeel was the one who was shocked. Did she really just say yes?

"For real?" The question slipped out of his mouth before he even thought about it.

Levy jumped into her boyfriend, excuse me, fiancé's arms. "Stupid Gajeel, have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?" She said, laughing and crying at the same time.

Gajeel returned the embrace and picked her up off the ground, twirling her in circles and laughing as he did. Yeah it was a stupid, cheesy move but come on, Levy said yes. Cut him some slack.

After a while, Gajeel put her down and placed the ring on her finger. When he did, he felt completely unburdened, like he had grown wings. It really did amaze him that one woman could do all that for him. But then again, it was Levy McGarden... well she won't be Levy McGarden for long, now will she?

Levy McGarden... Gajeel knew in his heart of hearts that he didn't deserve her. That's why every moment with her felt so great. And now, she would be doing him the great honor of being his wife.

This woman, this wonderful, wonderful woman... she was everything he could have ever hoped for. Levy was his missing piece, his heart, his soul. She was his complement, his better half in every way. She was the light to his dark, the yin to his yang, the uhh... something to ... uhh something else that matches. I don't know. Let's go with soul mate. That sounds good, right?

Whatever the case, Gajeel was happy with his fiancée. Pretty soon, Levy will be his wife. And he couldn't be happier.

* * *

_Word Count: 3,383_

**Hooray. Chapter done. I feel like celebrating.**

**Like I said before, when coming up with how to write this word, I wanted to avoid the word "Mate" as it used in other stories. I didn't want to go "Oh she was his mate, the one he was suppose to be with and be with for the rest of her life." Gajeel isn't a dragon. He's a Dragon Slayer. He's human. Humans don't mate. But I wanted to put a different spin on it. That's why I explained things the way I did in the first couple paragraphs. I wanted to get a different perspective on that.**

**I seem to be working a lot of these stories from Gajeel's angle. I guess he's more interesting to write about since he goes through more dynamic changes. It's the same thing I do when writing NaLu fics. I write from Lucy's perspective more than Natsu's. But do not worry. Levy will be the star in the next two chapters. Promise.**

**Loved it? Hated it? Have no opinion one way or the other? Leave me a review. I'd love to hear from you.**

**Here's the prompt for the next chapter.**

_It was their first date and for some reason, Levy couldn't help but feel anxious. This is the twelfth time she looked at herself in the mirror. Why is it that her stomach was flopping around? It's just a date, a date with her new boyfriend. Oh she was going to need some help getting through this._

**Any ideas what N is going to be?**

**Till next time, boys and girls**

**A. Angel**


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